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Raft Boat Tour Injury Lawyer in Maui
Raft boat tours give Maui residents and visitors an opportunity to explore the island’s coastline, snorkeling areas, sea caves, marine life, and other locations that may be difficult to reach from shore. Passengers depend on tour operators and crew members to operate the vessel safely, maintain equipment, monitor ocean conditions, and provide appropriate safety instructions.
Raft boat tour injuries may occur when passengers are thrown or jolted by rough water, fall while boarding or leaving the vessel, are struck by equipment, or encounter unsafe conditions during snorkeling and other activities. More serious incidents may involve collisions, equipment failures, passengers falling overboard, or unsafe decisions about weather and sea conditions.
When someone is injured during a commercial raft boat tour on Maui, questions may arise about how the accident happened and whether reasonable safety precautions were followed. Understanding your options can help you make informed decisions about medical treatment, insurance issues, and a potential Hawaii personal injury claim.
What You'll Learn on This Page
Common Injuries From Raft Boat Tour Accidents
Raft boat tour accidents can cause a range of injuries, especially when passengers are exposed to rough water, sudden impacts, falls, collisions, or other unsafe conditions.
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Broken Bones – Falls, hard landings, or impacts with the vessel can cause fractures to the arms, wrists, ribs, hips, legs, or ankles.
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Traumatic Brain Injuries – A passenger who strikes their head during a sudden jolt, fall, or collision may suffer a concussion or more serious brain injury.
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Neck and Back Injuries – Repeated jolting, rough seas, and sudden movement of the vessel can strain or damage the muscles, ligaments, discs, and other structures in the neck and back.
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Spinal Cord Injuries – Severe impacts or falls may damage the spinal cord and affect movement, sensation, strength, or independence.
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Shoulder and Joint Injuries – Passengers may suffer dislocations, torn ligaments, or other joint injuries when they brace themselves, fall, or are thrown against part of the raft.
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Internal Injuries – Hard impacts with the floor, seating, railings, or other parts of the vessel may cause internal bleeding or damage to organs.
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Drowning and Near-Drowning Injuries – Passengers who fall overboard or experience difficulty during snorkeling or swimming activities may suffer oxygen deprivation, lung complications, or other serious injuries.
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Catastrophic Injuries – Serious raft boat accidents may result in multiple traumatic injuries, permanent disabilities, or other long-term consequences that significantly affect a person’s daily life.
Some injuries may not be immediately obvious after a raft boat tour accident. Prompt medical evaluation can help identify hidden injuries and determine what treatment may be needed.
Who May Be Responsible for a Raft Boat Tour Injury?
Raft Tour Operators – The company operating the tour may be responsible if unsafe procedures, poor maintenance, inadequate staffing, or other preventable safety problems contributed to the accident.
Captains and Crew Members – The captain and crew are responsible for operating the vessel safely, monitoring ocean and weather conditions, assisting passengers, and following appropriate safety procedures.
Vessel Owners – In some cases, the raft may be owned by a different company or individual than the tour operator. A vessel owner may be responsible for maintenance, inspections, or unsafe conditions involving the boat.
Maintenance or Repair Contractors – Outside companies may be hired to inspect, service, or repair the vessel and its equipment. Improper maintenance or repair work may contribute to an equipment or mechanical failure.
Equipment Manufacturers – If defective seating, restraints, ladders, flotation devices, snorkeling equipment, or other products contributed to the injury, the manufacturer or distributor may need to be considered.
Other Vessel Operators – If another boat or watercraft causes a collision or creates an unsafe situation, its operator or owner may share responsibility for the resulting injuries.
Other Businesses or Contractors – Depending on the circumstances, companies involved in docking, passenger transportation, equipment rental, snorkeling activities, or other parts of the tour may also share responsibility.
More than one party may be involved in a raft boat tour accident. Reviewing vessel records, maintenance history, crew actions, ocean conditions, witness statements, and other available evidence can help determine who may be responsible.
What to Do After a Raft Boat Tour Injury
The steps you take after a raft boat tour accident can help protect your health and preserve important information about what happened. If your injuries are serious, a family member or someone traveling with you may need to help with some of these steps.
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Get Medical Attention – Seek medical care as soon as possible, especially after a hard impact, head injury, near-drowning incident, severe pain, numbness, or difficulty moving.
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Contact Lowenthal & Lowenthal – Speaking with our Maui personal injury lawyers early can help you understand your options and determine what steps should be taken to protect your claim. We can also help preserve evidence and handle communications with the tour company and its insurance carrier.
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Report the Accident – Notify the captain, crew, or tour operator and ask that the incident be formally documented. If possible, request a copy of any written accident or incident report.
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Document the Vessel and Conditions – Take photographs or video of the raft, seating, safety equipment, boarding area, ocean conditions, and anything else that may have contributed to the accident.
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Identify Witnesses – Get the names and contact information of passengers, crew members, or others who saw the accident or the conditions leading up to it.
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Keep Relevant Documents – Save medical records, bills, tour confirmations, tickets, waivers, photographs, receipts, emails, and any communication with the tour operator or insurance company.
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Be Careful With Insurance Communications – An insurance representative may contact you after the accident. Before providing a recorded statement or signing documents, make sure you understand how those communications could affect your claim.
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Follow Your Medical Treatment Plan – Attend follow-up appointments and follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations. This supports your recovery and helps document the continuing effects of your injuries.
Can Visitors Pursue a Claim After Returning Home?
Yes. If you were injured during a raft boat tour on Maui, returning home does not necessarily prevent you from pursuing a personal injury claim in Hawaii. Many visitors leave the island before they fully understand the extent of their injuries or before an insurance claim has been resolved.
You can continue receiving medical treatment after you return home. Keep copies of your medical records, bills, tour documents, photographs, and communications related to the accident, as these materials may become important during the claims process.
A Maui personal injury lawyer can investigate the accident, communicate with the tour operator and insurance companies, obtain relevant records, and help manage the Hawaii portion of the claim while you are living elsewhere.
It is also important not to wait too long. Hawaii has deadlines for bringing personal injury claims (Statute Of Limitations), and important evidence may become more difficult to obtain as time passes.
For more information about pursuing a claim after leaving Hawaii, read our Can I File a Hawaii Injury Claim After Returning Home? page. It explains how the process can continue after you return home and what steps may still need to be taken.
What Compensation May Be Available?
The compensation available after a raft boat tour injury depends on how the accident happened, the severity of the injuries, and the effect those injuries have on your daily life. A personal injury claim may include several types of losses.
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Medical Expenses – Compensation may include emergency care, hospital bills, diagnostic testing, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and other treatment related to the injury.
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Future Medical Care – Serious injuries may require ongoing treatment, additional procedures, therapy, medical equipment, or long-term care. Those anticipated costs may also be considered.
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Lost Income – If your injuries keep you from working while you recover, you may be able to seek compensation for wages or other income you were unable to earn.
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Reduced Earning Capacity – A lasting injury may affect your ability to return to the same job, work the same number of hours, or earn the same income in the future.
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Pain and Suffering – Compensation may account for physical pain, discomfort, and the broader effect the injury has on your everyday life.
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Loss of Enjoyment of Life – If your injuries limit your ability to participate in recreation, travel, family activities, or other parts of life you previously enjoyed, that impact may be considered.
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Permanent Disability or Disfigurement – Severe raft boat accidents may result in lasting physical limitations or permanent changes that affect mobility, independence, or quality of life.
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Other Out-of-Pocket Expenses – Depending on the circumstances, a claim may also include transportation costs, household assistance, medical equipment, and other reasonable expenses caused by the injury.
Every raft boat tour injury claim is different. The compensation available will depend on the evidence, applicable insurance coverage, Hawaii law, and the full impact the accident has had on the injured person.
How Lowenthal & Lowenthal Can Help
A serious raft boat tour injury can leave you dealing with medical treatment, insurance questions, and uncertainty about what happened. Lowenthal & Lowenthal can help you understand your options and manage the legal process while you focus on your recovery.
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Investigate the Accident – We can review how the incident happened, including the vessel, crew actions, ocean conditions, equipment, and safety procedures.
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Preserve Important Evidence – Our attorneys can work to obtain incident reports, photographs, witness information, vessel records, maintenance records, and other evidence related to the tour.
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Identify Responsible Parties – We can evaluate whether the tour operator, vessel owner, captain, crew, maintenance contractor, equipment manufacturer, or another party may be responsible for the injury.
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Handle Insurance Communications – We can communicate with insurance companies and other involved parties on your behalf and help protect your interests throughout the claims process.
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Evaluate the Full Impact of Your Injuries – We can consider medical expenses, lost income, future treatment needs, pain and suffering, and other losses when evaluating your claim.
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Guide You Through the Hawaii Claims Process – Whether you live in Hawaii or have already returned home, we can explain what to expect and help you understand the decisions that may arise throughout your claim.
If you or someone you love was seriously injured during a raft boat tour on Maui, contact Lowenthal & Lowenthal to discuss what happened and learn more about your legal options.
Schedule a consultation to discuss your case with one of our attorneys.
Please fill out the form below; our legal team will get back to you within 24 hours. *Please note this does not create an attorney-client relationship.
© 2020 All rights Reserved. Lowenthal & Lowenthal LLLC
The information presented on this website is for information purposes only and should not be used as a basis of legal advise or guidance. Using this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact us to see whether we are able to represent you.
- (808) 242•5000
- Send us an email
- Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 5:00
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What You'll Learn on This Page
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Call for help.
Document the scene.
Get medical treatment.
Start the insurance claims process.
Keep up with treatment.
Settle your case.
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Schedule a consultation to discuss your case with one of our attorneys.
Please fill out the form below; our legal team will get back to you within 24 hours. *Please note this does not create an attorney-client relationship.
© 2020 All rights Reserved. Lowenthal & Lowenthal LLLC
The information presented on this website is for information purposes only and should not be used as a basis of legal advise or guidance. Using this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact us to see whether we are able to represent you.