Boating Accident Insurance Claims

Every owner and operator of a boat is required to have both insurance. This is a means to protect the passengers and vessel against a sudden accident, mishap on a loading dock, on the water circumstance, or liability.

All vehicles water-bound should be covered with boat insurance to offer protection of the owner, the vessel, and passengers along with any type of loss. Boating accident insurance claims normally cover a host of motorized boats, and other vehicles on the water, like jet skis, yachts, and fishing boats.

This constitutes that insurance protection for various water vehicles can include kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats are normally not covered.

Protection of non-motorized vehicles, however, is usually covered through an insurance policy for the home.

It is crucial, because of that, to purchase insurance for motorized boats to make certain of complete coverage against injuries, fatality, or property damage.

Boating accident insurance claims normally offer coverage which includes: bodily injury liability; uninsured boater; damage to property; collision and comprehensive coverage; and healthcare expenses connected with accidents.

Specific factors are a consideration when providing a policy to an owner of a boat which normally entails specifics about the vehicle, such as: length, H, and value; top speed of travel with the vessel; the condition of the vessel in for filling standards with United States Coast Guard; the type of boat; whether the vessel is considered primary residence; whether the boat is homemade or commercially constructed; number of owners; and whether the vessel is a houseboat that is non-motorized.

Operators and owners of a boat can purchase policies of agreed value insurance, or based coverage on actual cash value.

There is a difference in how depreciation is handled of the vessel.


Policies of agreed value offer coverage based on the vessel’s value during the time the policy was written.

Normally, these policy types have a cost higher upfront, due to the fact there is no depreciation normally on the value overtime of the vessel, as a policy term.

Actual cash value, alternatively, has a cost lower upfront due to depreciation factoring into a policy.

When damages happen, as a result, the insurance company will normally pay up to an equal amount to the actual cash value of the vessel when a loss that is total or partial becomes declared.

Added to primary liability coverage, which normally covers many accidents and mishaps pertaining to personal sustained injuries due to a boat accident, many owners of boats are covered as well under a comprehensive umbrella policy.

This depends on how the policy was written, as well as the carrier, but an umbrella policy can be extended to cover circumstances after the exhaustion of the primary coverage.

In the context of a boater critically injuring and striking, in the water, a swimmer, an umbrella policy could be used if the injuries of the swimmers resulted in a fatality or were catastrophic.

For any individual critically injured in a boating accident, some confirmation and investigation regarding umbrella coverage is a crucial component in resolving any claim with the carrier of boating accident insurance claims.

Contact us for a free consultation or call Anzalone Law Firm PLLC, at: 603.548.3797.