Maryland Accident Law Blog
Michael Douglas Schott, 33, an Ellicott City man, died of head injuries and drowning after he was thrown from a large (24-foot) motorized boat on Back River near the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore County last weekend.
Maryland Natural Resources Police say that Schott fell off the boat when it hit a big metal channel marker that had been driven into the ground.
Boat owner/driver William Charles Spittel and Jason Joseph Bard were also thrown from the boat.
Spittel was treated for his concussion in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, while Bard was released at the accident scene.
The CDC offers the following drowning-related statistics:
• 3,308 unintentional fatal drownings took place in the U.S. in 2004.
• 676 fatalities of drowning involved other causes, such as boating-related accidents.
Common causes of head injuries include car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, falls, physical assault, skating accidents, bicycle accidents, and skateboarding accidents.
There are different kinds of trauma that can occur to the head. There is the penetrating trauma, where a sharp object enters the skull and possibly causes brain damage or death. There is the blunt head trauma that occurs from a direct blow to the head.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a boating accident that you believe was caused by someone’s negligence, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer right away who can help determine whether you have a boating accident claim on your hands. A personal injury attorney can also help you if you have sustained a head injury caused by another person’s careless or negligent behavior.
The CDC also names the following risk factors that often lead to water-related injuries:
• Lack of supervision and barriers (such as pool fencing).
• Recreation in natural water settings (such as lakes, rivers, or the ocean). • Recreational boating. Boating carries risks for injury. • Alcohol use. Alcohol use is involved in about 25% to 50% of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation (Howland et al. 1995; Howland and Hingson 1988)
• Seizure disorders. For persons with seizure disorders, drowning is the most common cause of unintentional injury death, with the bathtub as the site of highest drowning risk (Quan et al. 2006).
Boating Accident Claims Life of Ellicott City Man, Howard County Times, August 9, 2007
Water-Related Injuries: Fact Sheet, CDC.gov
Head Injury Causes, Emedicinehealth.com
Related Web Resource:
The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen works with clients that have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one in a boating accident or any other kind of injury accident.
Contact Lebowitz and Mzhen today to schedule your free consultation.