The Crash Team | September 21, 2026 | Boating Accidents
A boating accident can turn a day on the water into a medical, financial, and legal emergency. Collisions, falls overboard, propeller strikes, wake-related incidents, and crashes involving personal watercraft can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, severe lacerations, drowning injuries, and wrongful death.
What you do in the first minutes and days after the accident can affect your safety and your ability to recover compensation. The immediate priorities are getting people out of danger, calling for emergency assistance, reporting the accident, receiving medical care, and preserving evidence.
The Crash Team represents people injured in boating accidents and other serious incidents throughout Texas. If you were injured in a Texas boating accident, we can investigate the operator, vessel owner, rental company, manufacturer, marina, and any other party whose negligence may have contributed to the accident.
Injured in a Texas boating accident? Contact a boating accident lawyer at The Crash Team today. Call us 24/7 at 713-300-0000 for a free consultation.
What Should I Do Immediately After a Texas Boating Accident?
The moments after a collision can be chaotic. People may be in the water, passengers may have suffered head or spinal injuries, and damaged vessels may be taking on water.
Focus first on preventing additional injuries.
Stop the Vessel and Check for Injuries
Bring the vessel to a stop as soon as it is safe to do so. Shut off the engine if anyone is in the water near the boat, especially when there is a risk of contact with the propeller.
Check every passenger and operator involved in the accident. Look for:
- Unconsciousness
- Breathing difficulties
- Heavy bleeding
- Head or neck pain
- Confusion
- Broken bones
- Hypothermia
- Signs of drowning or water inhalation
- Passengers who are missing
Do not move someone with a suspected neck or spinal injury unless leaving the person in place creates a greater immediate danger.
Call for Emergency Help
Call 911, the U.S. Coast Guard, local law enforcement, or the appropriate lake or marine patrol agency. Be prepared to provide:
- Your location
- The name of the lake, river, bay, or coastal area
- Nearby markers or landmarks
- The number of people involved
- The nature of the injuries
- Whether anyone is missing
- Whether a vessel is sinking or on fire
On large lakes or coastal waters, identifying the exact location may be difficult. GPS coordinates, marina names, channel markers, bridge numbers, and shoreline landmarks can help rescuers reach the scene.
Put on Life Jackets
Anyone who is able to do so should put on a properly fitted personal flotation device. Even passengers who are currently inside the vessel may need to enter the water if the boat sinks, catches fire, or becomes unstable.
Do not assume strong swimmers will be safe. Injuries, cold water, waves, currents, and exhaustion can quickly overwhelm an otherwise capable swimmer.
Help People in the Water
Throw flotation devices to people in the water and bring them aboard when it can be done safely. Avoid entering the water unless absolutely necessary because doing so may create another victim.
Texas law requires a vessel operator involved in an accident to stop and provide assistance when it is practicable and necessary to save another person or minimize danger, unless providing that assistance would endanger the operator’s own vessel, crew, or passengers.
Injured in a Texas boating accident? Contact The Crash Team for a free case review. Our legal team is available 24/7 when an accident requires immediate investigation.
Am I Required to Exchange Information After a Boating Accident?
Yes. The operator of a vessel involved in a Texas boating accident must provide identifying information to injured people and owners of damaged property.
Texas law requires the operator to provide, in writing:
- The operator’s name
- The operator’s address
- The vessel’s identification number
Failing to stop and provide required assistance can result in serious legal consequences, particularly when the accident causes death or serious bodily injury.
In addition to the legally required information, try to collect:
- The vessel owner’s name
- The operator’s phone number
- Insurance information
- Boat registration information
- The vessel’s make and model
- The rental company’s name, if applicable
- Marina or tour-company information
- The names and contact details of passengers
- Witness contact information
Take photographs of registration numbers and insurance documents rather than relying only on handwritten notes.
Do not argue about responsibility at the scene. Exchange the necessary information, cooperate with emergency personnel, and avoid making statements that could later be misinterpreted as an admission of fault.
When Must a Texas Boating Accident Be Reported?
Texas vessel operators must report certain accidents to a local law enforcement agency or the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
A report is generally required when the accident results in:
- A death or missing person
- An injury requiring treatment beyond first aid
- Property damage exceeding $2,000
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department guidance states that qualifying boating accidents generally must be reported within 30 days. Its boating-law guidance states that an accident involving a death must be reported within 48 hours.
A boating accident can be reported by contacting:
- A local game warden
- A local law enforcement agency
- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- TPWD’s 24-hour dispatch at 512-389-4848
Do not assume another operator will file the required report. Each vessel operator involved may have independent reporting responsibilities.
A report should provide a complete and accurate description of the accident. Avoid guessing about speed, distance, alcohol use, mechanical failures, or other matters you did not personally observe.
Should You Seek Medical Treatment Even If You Feel Fine?
Yes. Some boating injuries are immediately obvious, but others may not become apparent until the adrenaline wears off.
Seek prompt medical evaluation after a significant boating accident, especially if you struck your head, fell overboard, inhaled water, were hit by a vessel, or were thrown against part of the boat.
Delayed or hidden injuries may include:
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Cervical injuries
- Herniated discs
- Torn ligaments
- Shoulder injuries
- Water aspiration
- Hypothermia
- Infections from contaminated water
- Psychological trauma
Tell the medical provider that the injury occurred in a boating accident. Explain whether you were ejected, submerged, struck by a propeller, hit by another vessel, or exposed to fuel, fire, or other hazards.
Follow all medical recommendations. Attend follow-up appointments, complete diagnostic testing, and follow physical restrictions.
Gaps in treatment can harm your health and give an insurance company an opportunity to argue that the injuries were not serious or were caused by something other than the accident.
What Evidence Should I Collect After the Accident?
Boating accident evidence can disappear quickly. Vessels may be repaired, rented boats may return to service, electronic data may be overwritten, and water or weather conditions may change.
Collect evidence only when it is safe.
Photograph the Vessels
Take photographs and video of:
- Damage to every boat or personal watercraft
- Registration numbers
- Propellers
- Engines
- Steering controls
- Safety equipment
- Navigation lights
- Seating areas
- Broken rails or ladders
- Blood, torn clothing, or other injury evidence
- Personal property damaged in the accident
Capture both close-up and wide-angle images.
Document the Accident Area
Record:
- The approximate point of impact
- Buoys and channel markers
- Docks and boat ramps
- Shoreline landmarks
- Water conditions
- Visibility
- Weather
- Wake activity
- Nearby vessels
- Lighting conditions
- Construction or restricted areas
Conditions on the water may be very different by the time investigators return.
Identify Witnesses
Get the names and contact information of:
- Passengers
- Operators of nearby boats
- People on docks
- Marina employees
- Fishing guides
- Rental-company employees
- Tour-company staff
- First responders
An independent witness may confirm that an operator was speeding, weaving between vessels, ignoring markers, drinking alcohol, or creating a dangerous wake.
Preserve Electronic Evidence
Modern vessels and phones may contain valuable evidence, including:
- GPS data
- Navigation history
- Engine data
- Fish-finder records
- Photographs
- Videos
- Text messages
- Call logs
- Rental-app information
- Marina surveillance footage
Do not alter or delete this information. An attorney can send preservation notices to vessel owners, rental businesses, marinas, tour operators, and other parties that may possess relevant evidence.
The Crash Team is standing by. Call 713-300-0000 now for your free case review. Acting quickly may help preserve the vessel, electronic data, surveillance video, and witness testimony.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Texas Boating Accident?
The person operating the vessel is often the first party investigated, but that individual may not be the only responsible party.
A Negligent Boat Operator
An operator may be responsible for:
- Speeding
- Operating while distracted
- Failing to maintain a proper lookout
- Following another vessel too closely
- Ignoring navigation markers
- Creating a dangerous wake
- Operating too close to swimmers
- Failing to yield
- Overloading the vessel
- Operating in unsafe weather
- Allowing passengers to sit in dangerous areas
- Operating under the influence
- Failing to use required lights
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department educational materials identify operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed, and alcohol use among leading contributing factors in recreational boating accidents.
The Vessel Owner
The owner may bear responsibility when the owner knowingly allows an unsafe, intoxicated, unqualified, or inexperienced person to operate the boat.
An owner may also be liable for failing to maintain:
- The engine
- Steering controls
- Navigation lights
- Safety rails
- Fire extinguishers
- Fuel systems
- Propellers
- Other essential equipment
Ownership and operation are not always the same. Investigators should determine who controlled, maintained, insured, and benefited from the vessel.
A Boat Rental Company
A rental business may be responsible when it:
- Rents a vessel with known defects
- Fails to perform reasonable maintenance
- Provides inadequate safety instructions
- Ignores obvious operator impairment
- Overloads a boat
- Fails to provide required equipment
- Allows operation by an unqualified renter
Rental agreements, inspection logs, maintenance files, training videos, and employee testimony may become important evidence.
A Tour, Fishing, or Charter Company
Commercial operators owe passengers important safety duties. A charter company may be liable for negligent hiring, inadequate crew training, unsafe equipment, poor maintenance, overcrowding, or dangerous operating decisions.
Commercial boating cases may involve both state and federal legal issues, depending on where and how the accident occurred.
A Vessel or Parts Manufacturer
A defective component may cause or worsen a boating accident.
Possible defects include:
- Steering-system failures
- Throttle malfunctions
- Defective fuel systems
- Electrical fires
- Propeller defects
- Flotation failures
- Unsafe vessel design
- Defective personal flotation devices
The vessel and failed component should be preserved for expert inspection. Repairing or disposing of the boat before an investigation may destroy critical evidence.
A Marina, Dock Owner, or Property Owner
A marina or waterfront business may be responsible for unsafe conditions such as:
- Broken docks
- Inadequate lighting
- Missing railings
- Unsafe electrical systems
- Poorly maintained walkways
- Unmarked submerged hazards
- Negligent fueling operations
These cases may involve premises liability in addition to boating law.
What If More Than One Person Caused the Accident?
Texas uses a proportionate-responsibility system. Under Texas law, a claimant generally cannot recover damages when the claimant is more than 50 percent responsible. If the claimant is 50 percent or less responsible, compensation may be reduced by that percentage of responsibility.
Suppose a boating accident causes $500,000 in proven damages. The injured passenger is found 10 percent responsible for knowingly interfering with the operator, while the operator is found 90 percent responsible for speeding and failing to maintain a lookout.
The potential recovery could be reduced by 10 percent to $450,000.
Several defendants may also share responsibility. A case could involve:
- A negligent operator
- A vessel owner
- A rental company
- A maintenance contractor
- A manufacturer
- A tour company
Insurance companies may try to shift fault to the injured person by claiming the victim ignored instructions, failed to wear a life jacket, entered a restricted area, or acted carelessly. These allegations should be evaluated against the evidence rather than accepted without investigation.
How Can The Crash Team Help After a Boating Accident?
Boating cases can involve overlapping questions of negligence, vessel ownership, insurance, state law, and maritime law. The Crash Team can investigate beyond the initial incident report to determine how the accident happened and who should be held responsible.
The legal team may:
- Obtain boating accident and law enforcement reports
- Interview passengers and witnesses
- Locate photographs and videos
- Preserve the vessel for inspection
- Secure GPS and electronic data
- Review rental and maintenance records
- Examine insurance policies
- Investigate possible alcohol use
- Work with accident reconstruction specialists
- Consult medical and economic experts
- Calculate present and future damages
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- File a lawsuit when appropriate
The Crash Team also represents victims of car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, rideshare accidents, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death.
Contact The Crash Team After a Texas Boating Accident
A boating accident can leave victims facing emergency treatment, long-term rehabilitation, lost income, and uncertainty about who must pay. Insurance companies may act quickly to protect vessel owners, rental businesses, and commercial operators.
You should act just as quickly to protect yourself.
The Crash Team provides direct, responsive representation to people injured in serious accidents throughout Texas. Led by Aaron Galvan and Breanne Galvan, the legal team investigates the evidence, identifies available insurance coverage, and prepares claims for litigation when defendants refuse to accept responsibility.
Call The Crash Team today at 713-300-0000 for a free case review. Our boating accident attorneys are available 24/7, and clients pay no attorney fees unless compensation is recovered.
