Maui Recreational Accidents
Maui, Hawaii, is one of the United States' great tourist destinations. Many people visit Maui to enjoy the outdoors and to engage in many recreational activities such as bicycling, boating, golf, horseback riding and water sports. Because of this, we see an unusually large number of accidents from these activities.
Bicycle Accidents
Each year, over 500,000 people are treated for injuries, and over 700 die in bicycle accidents. Bicycle accidents can be caused by rider error, motorist error, product defects, and roadway defects.
However, most of the more serious bicycling injuries are caused by a negligent motorist; these cases proceed like other personal injury cases where an automobile driver is at fault; however, because of the disparity in protection for a bicyclist if it is hit by a car, the injuries are typically more serious, which causes the cases to be more complex. A defect in the bicycle may also cause an accident or be a contributing factor to an accident. Like any other product for sale, bicycles must be designed and manufactured in a manner that ensures they are safe for normal use.
If a bicycle accident is caused by a roadway defect, it is especially important to hire an experienced attorney, because the lawsuit would be against the city, county, or state government who maintains the roadway. We have also successfully obtained recovery for clients who were injured because of a lack of sufficient warning on bicycle paths.
Recreational Boating Accidents
Injuries from boating accidents tend to be more serious, if not fatal, than other vehicle accidents. Boating under the influence is the most common cause of boating accidents; in fact, the United States Coast Guard considers boating under the influence to be even more dangerous than driving under the influence on land.
Other boating accident causes include reckless operation, excessive speed, negligent operation under certain weather conditions, and poor instruction to passengers. These causes are exacerbated by the fact that boaters are often less experienced in operating a boat than they are an automobile; in fact, Hawaii law does not even require boat operators to obtain a boating license. Boating accidents can also be caused by a defective product or defective part within the boat. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains a safety record database for boats where you can search your boat's safety record to see if any alerts or recalls have been issued on your boat.
Tateishi & Pascual has extensive experience in recreational boating accident cases. We have successfully resolved cases involving failure of the boat operator to take a wave at the correct angle, failure to properly ensure that passengers were seated on the boat, and failure to heed weather warnings.
Other Recreational Accidents
Although boating and bicycling are the two of the most common types of recreational accidents, Tateishi & Pascual have successfully obtained recovery for plaintiffs who were injured because of:
- Improper warnings and security at a county fair
- A failure to warn, barricade, or repair a large hole off the fairway on a golf course
- Failure to warn of steep cart path
- Failure to warn, inspect, or maintain playground equipment
- Dirt bike/off road accidents
