This page was written, edited, reviewed & approved by Dustin Lance and Cole Bingham following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. Dustin Lance, Partner Attorney, has handled many types of personal injury cases and is licensed in Utah and Idaho. Cole Bingham, Partner Attorney, focuses his practice on personal injury and wrongful death claims and is licensed in Utah. Before joining the firm, he spent years representing insurance companies, so he knows how insurers defend the claims our clients bring.
A Salt Lake City boat accident lawyer can help you hold careless boat operators, owners, and rental companies accountable for serious injuries. You may be facing surgery, missed work, and an insurance adjuster who wants your statement before you understand your injuries. That pressure is real, and you should not have to face it alone.
At Lance Bingham Utah Personal Injury Lawyers, we investigate what happened, identify every party who may share fault, and pursue the compensation Utah law allows. Our attorneys handle your case personally from the first call forward. Call (801) 869-6800 to schedule a free case evaluation with our Salt Lake City team.
Insurers for the operator or boat owner may start building their version of events while you are still in treatment. We push back from the start with a focused investigation of our own.
Utah recorded 50 recreational boating incidents in 2024, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics. Those incidents left 10 people dead and 33 injured. Nationwide, the Coast Guard counted 3,887 incidents, 556 deaths, and 2,170 injuries that year.
Operator inattention, improper lookout, and operator inexperience led the list of contributing factors in boating accidents across the country. Alcohol was the leading known factor in fatal incidents. The Coast Guard also reports that non-fatal incidents are severely underreported, so many injured boaters never appear in these totals.
Utah's State Boating Act sets clear rules for every operator on state waters. When someone breaks those rules and hurts you, the violation can become important evidence in your claim.
Under Utah Code 73-18-15.1, every operator must keep a proper lookout and travel at a safe speed. The same statute also:
Utah's DUI laws also apply to motorboat operators. Utah Code 41-6a-501 defines a vehicle to include motorboats, and Section 41-6a-502 prohibits operating with a blood or breath alcohol concentration of .05 or higher. An operator also violates the law when the influence of alcohol or drugs makes safe operation impossible, regardless of any test result.
Utah Code 73-18-13 requires an operator involved in an accident to give practicable aid when they can do so without seriously endangering their own vessel, crew, or passengers. The operator must also give their name, address, and vessel identification in writing to anyone injured. Under Utah Code 73-18-13.2, an operator who has reason to believe they were in an injury accident must stop and remain at the scene until meeting those duties.
We use this information to identify the operator, owner, and insurer quickly, before witnesses scatter and records get harder to find. Early action also lets us request photos, videos, and marina or rental records before they are lost.
Our attorneys handle injury claims involving many types of watercraft on Utah lakes and reservoirs, including the following:
A serious boating injury can affect your health, your job, and your family's finances for years. Depending on the facts, you may be able to pursue compensation for losses such as the list below. We tie each loss to medical records, bills, and employment records.
Our team documents both categories, including non-economic damages that insurers often try to minimize. When a crash causes brain trauma, spinal cord damage, or amputation, we build the case the way we build other catastrophic injury claims, with medical and financial evidence of long-term needs.
Yes, in many cases. Under Utah Code 78B-5-818, your own share of fault does not automatically bar recovery. You may recover from defendants whose combined fault, including fault assigned to immune persons and nonparties, is greater than yours.
Each defendant pays only its own share of fault. If your fault equals or exceeds everyone else's combined fault, recovery is barred.
Insurers know this rule, so they often try to shift blame onto injured passengers, skiers, and swimmers. We answer with photos, witness statements, and vessel data, and we explain how negligence is proven in your specific case.
Most Utah injury lawsuits must be filed within 4 years under Utah Code 78B-2-307, the state's general catch-all limitations period. Wrongful death actions have a shorter 2-year period under Utah Code 78B-2-304.
Claims against a government entity move even faster. Utah Code 63G-7-402 bars the claim unless you file a notice of claim within 1 year after the claim arises. Talk with our team early to protect your filing deadlines.
Get medical care first, even if your injuries seem minor. Photograph the scene, the boats, and your injuries, and collect contact information from the operator, owner, and witnesses. Avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurer before you speak with a lawyer.
Several parties may share responsibility. Under Utah's State Boating Act, an owner is liable when a minor under 18 negligently operates the boat with the owner's express or implied consent.
Rental companies may not let a vessel depart until it is properly equipped and the renter has been advised of the rules. Manufacturers and repair shops may also share fault when defective equipment contributes to a crash.
Many do. Under Utah's Financial Responsibility of Motorboat Owners and Operators Act, resident owners must maintain security, such as an insurance policy, whenever a covered motorboat operates on state waters. The rule covers personal watercraft of any horsepower but excludes boats with a manufacturer-listed rating of 50 horsepower or less, and carrying that security does not limit the owner's liability to the policy amount.
You can request a copy, but it generally cannot serve as trial evidence. Utah Code 73-18-13 requires the Division of Outdoor Recreation to release the written report to anyone who suffered loss or injury in the accident. The same statute bars using accident reports as evidence in civil trials arising from the accident, so your claim must rest on independent evidence gathered early.
Personal watercraft riders must follow Utah's general boating rules, plus added limits. Utah Code 73-18-15.2 requires riders ages 12 through 17 to complete an approved boating safety course, and riders under 16 need direct supervision by someone at least 18. Utah Code 73-18-15.3 also bans personal watercraft operation between sunset and sunrise.
You pay no upfront attorney fees to start your case. We handle boat accident claims on a contingency fee basis, and we explain how contingency fees work during your free case evaluation.
A boating injury can upend your life in seconds, but the people responsible should not get to set the terms of your recovery. Evidence on the water fades quickly, and every day you wait gives the other side more room to shape the story.
Attorneys Dustin Lance and Cole Bingham lead our team, and a Salt Lake City boat accident lawyer at Lance Bingham is available 24/7. Call (801) 869-6800 or contact our team online to schedule your free case evaluation.
Dustin specializes in serious accident and injury cases in Utah and Idaho, practicing in State and Federal Courts. He's recognized as "Utah's Legal Elite," a "Mountain States Rising Star," and a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100. He holds an Avvo Superb Rating and is actively involved in legal associations, serving as a judge pro tempore for the Utah Supreme Court. A Utah native, Dustin earned his degrees from the University of Utah. He lives in Farmington with his wife and three children, enjoying family time, flying, and various outdoor activities.
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