Gangway Collapse At Hilton Head Marina Causes Injuries

Maritime travel is dangerous enough that most people avoid it altogether, and people who travel frequently by boat know how to avoid the most dangerous situations. They head for dry land at the first sight of a dark cloud, since, when you are on the open water, there is nowhere to take shelter from a lightning storm. Likewise, there are volumes of sailors’ superstitions, simply because so many things can go wrong when you are so many nautical miles away from anywhere. By contrast, docks are not a place to fear, not unless you have read enough news stories about personal injury lawsuits. In coastal areas of the Sun Belt, people get injured at marinas on a regular basis. For example, a woman slipped and fell on an algae-covered dock when her boat had to dock quickly to avoid a thunderstorm; the algae had grown when the dock was submerged during hurricane flooding, and in the intervening months, no one had bothered to remove it. In another incident, a woman was walking on a dock toward the boat she was about to board, and a bird flew at her head at high speed, causing a concussion. Last spring, an accident at a Hilton Head marina injured several people. Premises liability laws protect customers who get injured at places of business; this sometimes includes visitors at marinas. If you got injured in an accident at the dry land portion of a boating expedition, contact a Columbia premises liability lawyer.

Passengers Disembarking From Boat Plunge Into the Water

In March 2025, boaters enthusiastically took to Shelter Cove Marina in Hilton Head as soon as the weather was warm enough for boating. The marina has three docks and enough space for 200 boats; each space has a gangway, which is an adjustable bridge that connects the ship to the dock. People embark or disembark from the boats by walking on the gangway. A gangway collapsed when about 15 people were standing on it, and they all fell into the water. By the time first responders arrived, everyone was back on the dock, but eight people suffered injuries serious enough to require medical treatment. The injured people were transported to the hospital; none of their injuries were life-threatening.

The injured people may be able to recover compensation for their accident-related medical bills by filing a premises liability claim. Premises liability protections are robust for business invitees, that is, paying customers. Meanwhile, recreational land use statutes protect landowners from premises liability claims when they make their property available for recreational use such as fishing, hiking, or swimming free of charge. Shelter Cove Marina is privately owned, but it does not charge admission to visitors. This has raised legal questions about who was responsible for ensuring that the gangways were in safe condition, and therefore, where the injured people should file personal injury claims.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get justice after getting injured in an accident on a dock.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Sources:

islandpacket.com/news/local/article302486254.html

islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article302089174.html