Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Boating Accidents & Casualties—What the Law Requires
You to Do
An operator involved in a boating accident or other casualty must:
- Stop his or her vessel immediately at the scene of the accident and
...
- Give assistance to anyone injured in the accident or minimize
any danger caused by the accident unless doing so would seriously
endanger his or her vessel or passengers and ...
- Give his or her name, address, and the identifying number
of his or her vessel in writing to anyone injured from the accident
and to the owner of any damaged property.
Accidents must be reported if they result in the death or injury
of anyone or in property damage over $500.
The operator must give notice of the accident immediately, by
the quickest means possible, to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries (LDWF), the nearest law enforcement agency, or the
State Police. To contact LDWF in an emergency, call 1-800-442-2511.
The operator also must file a written report on an accident report
form within five days of the accident. Accident report forms are
available from any LDFW office or may be downloaded from the LDWF’s
website.

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