Boating and Maritime Injuries

SMB’s team of boating and maritime injury lawyers have unrivaled experience representing seamen, passengers, and others who have been catastrophically injured or tragically killed in boating or maritime accidents.

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We have represented clients in a range of cases involving boating or maritime injuries and deaths in a variety of circumstances and have successfully maneuvered our way through the unique procedural rules and jurisdiction challenges presented by accidents that occur at sea or in lakes, rivers, and ponds.

Maritime accidents and boating-related injuries occur far too often. The claims we file after these incidents are complex and subject to unique procedural rules. SMB has handled many boat accident cases and we know how to navigate our way through the process to maximize our clients’ recoveries.

Andrew R. Duffy

Unmatched Results

SMB has secured multimillion-dollar settlements for victims of boating and maritime accidents and has handled various high-profile boat accident matters, including:

On July 7, 2010, tragedy struck when the amphibious—and now infamous—Duck Boat 34 sank after it was struck by a barge in the Delaware River, with thirty-five passengers on board who were touring Philadelphia. Two of the passengers drowned to death, and SMB worked tenaciously to obtain a measure of justice for the victims’ families and ultimately achieved a $17 million settlement. The lawsuit and settlement resulted in driving these “Death Trap Duck Boats” out of Philadelphia for good.

SMB is currently handling the Branson, Missouri Duck Boat catastrophe in which a Duck Boat sank during a storm on July 19, 2018, with twenty-nine passengers and two crew members on board. Sixteen passengers and one crew member drowned in this tragedy.

Unmatched Knowledge & Experience

The laws applicable to boating and maritime accidents are different than those governing land-based incidents–and they have the potential to significantly reduce the value of a claim if not properly handled by knowledgeable counsel. One such law is the federal Limitation of Liability Act that can permit a boating or maritime defendant to limit its financial responsibility for an accident to the value of the boat or vessel itself. SMB has successfully defeated numerous attempts by defendants to use this antiquated law and ensured that our clients received compensation appropriate to their losses.

  • Philadelphia Duck Boat Accident: On July 7, 2010, tragedy struck when the amphibious—and now infamous—Duck Boat 34 sank after it was struck by a barge in the Delaware River, with thirty-five passengers on board who were touring Philadelphia. Two of the passengers drowned to death, and SMB worked tenaciously to obtain a measure of justice for the victims’ families and ultimately achieved a $17 million settlement. The lawsuit and settlement resulted in driving these “Death Trap Duck Boats” out of Philadelphia for good.
  • Branson, Missouri Duck Boat Accident: SMB is currently handling the Branson, Missouri Duck Boat catastrophe in which a Duck Boat sank during a storm on July 19, 2018, with twenty-nine passengers and two crew members on board. Sixteen passengers and one crew member drowned in this tragedy.

SMB’s trial lawyers work relentlessly to help the victims of boating and maritime accidents receive all of the compensation they deserve, including damages for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, past, and future medical costs, lost income, and future earnings.

If you have been injured—or a family member has been injured or killed—as a result of a boating or maritime accident, SMB can help.

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