Maine Water Ski Accident Lawyers Fighting for Injured Boaters
The person at the end of the tow rope is the one with the least control and the most to lose. When a boat operator skips the lookout, opens the throttle near shore, or drinks before taking the wheel, the skier is the one who gets hurt. For more than 50 years, the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein has made careless operators and their insurers answer for injuries like these. A Maine water ski accident lawyer is ready to hear what happened and go to work.
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Were You Injured in a Water Skiing Accident Because of Someone Else’s Negligence?
After a crash on the water, it is easy to wonder whether you have a case at all. Maybe the operator was a friend, or maybe an insurer already told you it was just an accident. Do not let that decide anything. Maine law sets clear rules for how a towboat is supposed to be operated, and when an operator ignores them and someone gets hurt, the injured person has real rights.
Call us for a free case evaluation. A Maine water ski accident attorney will listen, explain where you stand, and answer your questions at no cost. Our team is available 24/7.
Why Injured Mainers Call Joe Bornstein After a Water Ski Accident
The lawyer you choose affects what you recover. Our Maine personal injury lawyers have spent decades negotiating with insurance companies, and we know how they try to minimize claims that arise on the water, where fault can look murky, and witnesses scatter the moment the boat returns to the dock. We put that experience to work for injured boaters and skiers, and we do not back down when an insurer lowballs a fair claim.
- AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America – Personal Injury
- Super Lawyers – Maine Personal Injury
- National Trial Lawyers – Top 100
No Upfront Fees. No Financial Risk.
We take water ski accident cases on contingency, which means you pay nothing up front and nothing along the way. Our fee comes out of the compensation we recover for you.
Maine Lawyers Working for Maine People
For more than 50 years, the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein has represented injured people across this state. We understand the boating rules Maine puts on the water, how insurers here evaluate a watercraft claim, and what it takes to prove fault when the evidence is on a lake rather than a roadway.
Reach Us Any Time, Day or Night
A boating injury does not wait for Monday morning, and neither do we. Call any hour, any day, and a real person picks up. Whether you have an urgent question or just need to know what happens next, our team is ready when you reach out.
Getting Help from Joe Bornstein Law Is as Easy as 1-2-3
The moment you contact our firm, the case stops being yours to carry alone. Our Maine water ski accident lawyers take over the legal work so you can put your attention where it belongs, on healing and on the people who count on you.
Immediate, Free Case Evaluation 24/7
Call day or night and walk us through what happened on the water: how fast, how close to shore, whether a spotter was aboard, whether the operator had been drinking. A Maine water ski accident lawyer will listen and explain your rights at no cost and in confidence.
Full Evaluation of What Your Case Is Worth
Your attorney weighs the full weight of the injury, the treatment already behind you and the care still ahead, the income you’ve lost, the earning power a lasting injury may cost you, and every insurance policy behind the boat that could contribute to your recovery.
Complete Case Management Through Resolution
The report, the witnesses, the equipment, the adjuster, and every deadline become ours. We build and drive your personal injury claim to resolution while you focus entirely on healing.
What Compensation Can I Recover After a Water Ski Accident in Maine?
After a water ski accident, Maine law lets you recover for the full harm a negligent operator caused, not just the bills on your kitchen table. Depending on the specifics of your case, a water ski accident lawyer in Maine may pursue compensation for:
- Emergency care and hospital bills
- Ongoing and future medical treatment, including surgery and physical therapy
- Lost income while you recover
- Reduced ability to earn a living going forward
- Repair or replacement of damaged property
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring, disfigurement, or disability
- Loss of enjoyment of the activities you love
- A spouse’s loss of companionship and support
Water ski injuries are often serious, from broken bones and lacerations to spinal cord damage, brain injury, and near-drowning. The hardest losses to value are the ones without a receipt, like chronic pain or a permanent limitation, and those are exactly what insurers try to minimize.
Fault matters too. Under Maine’s modified comparative negligence rule (14 M.R.S. § 156), you can recover as long as your share of fault stays at 50 percent or below, with your award reduced by that percentage. Because a few points can change what you receive, insurers often try to shift blame onto the skier.
To find out what your claim may be worth, talk with a Maine water ski accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein today.
When an Accident Changes Everything, Joe Bornstein Fights for Your Recovery
Water ski accident claims are won or lost in the first days, when you can least afford to work them. The boat goes back on its trailer, the passengers head home, and their memories start to blur. From the moment you hire us, a Maine water ski accident lawyer takes that work off your hands.
Preserving Evidence Before It Disappears
We secure the incident report, reach the operator and passengers while accounts are fresh, find other boaters or shoreline witnesses, and inspect the boat and equipment before anything is repaired or sold.
Calculating the Full Value of Your Injury
An insurer looks only at today’s bills. We build your claim around the entire recovery, including future medical treatment and lost earning capacity, and bring in medical and economic experts when a serious injury calls for it.
Handling the Insurance Company and Deadlines
Once you hire us, the adjuster goes through your Maine water ski accident attorney, not you, so you are never pressured into an early statement. We also track every filing deadline state law imposes, so time never runs out on your claim.
Wherever You Are in Maine, a Water Ski Accident Attorney Is Nearby
Water skiing is one of Maine’s great summer pastimes, but like any recreational activity on the water, it carries real risk. Accidents happen wherever Mainers get out on the water, from Sebago and the Belgrades to Moosehead and the coast. Wherever yours happened, a Maine water ski accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein can help.
If getting to us is difficult while you recover, we can meet you at home or over video. With seven offices across the state, a water ski lawyer is always within reach.
$750+ Million Recovered for Injured Mainers
Our record of results reflects decades of strategic representation against national insurance carriers and local defense firms.
These are not isolated wins, but represent our long-standing commitment to pursuing full and fair compensation for all types of personal injury claims in Maine.
Representing Mainers in Every Type of Water Ski Accident
Most water ski accidents are not bad luck. They trace back to an operator who ignored the duties Maine law places on anyone towing a skier, and the person at the end of the rope has almost no way to protect themselves. Our attorneys handle water ski, wakeboard, and tubing injury claims caused by:
- Operators who fail to keep a proper lookout on the person in tow
- Towing without the observer Maine law requires aboard
- Excessive speed or sudden, unsafe turns while a skier is in tow
- Towing a skier within 200 feet of shore, docks, swimmers, or other boats
- Alcohol or drug impairment behind the wheel
- Towing after dark, when state law prohibits it
- Failure to provide a proper, non-inflatable, Coast Guard-approved life vest
- Inexperienced or untrained operators
- Defective boats, tow lines, or ski equipment
Maine sets firm rules for towing a skier. A boat pulling anyone on water skis, a wakeboard, or a tube must carry an observer at least 12 years old, in addition to the operator, whose job is to watch the person in tow at all times. Towing is prohibited within 200 feet of shore and from a half-hour after sunset until a half-hour before sunrise, and everyone being towed must wear a non-inflatable, Coast Guard-approved life vest. Operating a boat recklessly is a crime under Maine law, not just carelessness.
When an operator breaks one of these rules and you are hurt, that violation can be strong evidence of negligence in your claim.
Deadlines to File a Water Ski Accident Claim in Maine
In Maine, the statute of limitations generally gives you six years from the date of injury to file a water ski accident claim (14 M.R.S. § 752). Some deadlines are much shorter: wrongful death claims allow three years, and claims involving a government entity require written notice within 365 days.
Evidence disappears fast on the water, so the sooner you call a Maine water ski accident lawyer, the better we can protect your claim.
Client Testimonials
You Handle the Recovery. We'll Handle the Insurance Company.
A day on the water shouldn’t cost you your health, your income, and your peace of mind. While you heal, the insurance company is already working to pay you as little as possible. A Maine water ski accident attorney at the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein steps between you and the adjuster and pursues every dollar you’re owed. Schedule your free case evaluation now.
Start Your Claim Now!
Rated 5 Stars by Our Clients
With decades of experience handling personal injury claims, The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein has the skill and dedication to pursue the best possible outcome for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our water ski accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein answer the questions we hear most often from injured Mainers.
How much does it cost to hire a water ski accident lawyer in Maine?
Nothing up front. The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein handles water ski accident cases on a contingency fee basis, so there are no upfront costs and no hourly charges. Our fee is a percentage of the compensation we recover, which means we only get paid when your case does.
What should I do immediately after a water ski accident?
Get medical attention first, even if you feel okay, since injuries like concussions and internal trauma can surface hours or days later. If you are able, photograph the scene, the boat, and any equipment, and gather names and contact details for the operator, the observer, and anyone who witnessed the accident. Report the accident as Maine law requires, and be careful what you say to any insurer. Then speak with a water ski accident lawyer before giving a recorded statement, so your claim is protected from the start.
Can I recover compensation if I was partially at fault for the accident?
Often, yes. Under Maine’s modified comparative negligence rule, you can recover as long as your share of fault stays below 50 percent, with your compensation reduced by that percentage. Once your share reaches 50 percent, you recover nothing. Because insurers routinely try to pin more blame on the injured person than the facts support, having your own advocate matters.
Who can be held responsible in a water ski accident in Maine?
Often more than one party. The boat operator is the most common, but the boat’s owner, a rental or charter company, or the manufacturer of a defective boat or tow line may also share fault. If the operator was towing without the observer Maine law requires, after dark, or while impaired, that can strengthen the case against them. Each responsible party may carry insurance that contributes to your recovery, and finding every one of them is part of our job.
Do you have other questions about your accident?
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Call, Text, or Email Joe Bornstein’s Office for a Free Case Evaluation Today!
Few firms in Maine have the depth of experience that comes from representing injured clients consistently for over half a century. Law Offices of Joe Bornstein combine experience, recognized professional excellence, and responsive client care to guide you every step of the way.
Call today to speak with a Maine personal injury lawyer near you. Your case evaluation is free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Hurt in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident, slip and fall, dog attack, or other serious incident?
We represent clients across all 16 Maine counties with offices statewide and 24/7 availability.
Award-Winning Attorneys
You can feel confident your case is in experienced hands.
The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein has earned the highest awards and recognitions.
