Kayak & Canoe Accident Claims
Kayaking and canoeing have surged in popularity across Georgia and South Carolina, with paddlers exploring the Savannah River, Edisto River, Congaree River, and the coastal marshes of the Lowcountry and Golden Isles. While paddling sports are generally low-speed activities, they carry significant risks — particularly when motorized vessels share the same waterways. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that canoes and kayaks are consistently among the vessel types with the highest fatality rates, primarily due to capsizing and drowning.
At Roden Law, our kayak and canoe accident lawyers represent paddlers who are injured through the negligence of motorboat operators, outfitter companies, tour guides, and property owners throughout Georgia and South Carolina.
Common Causes of Kayak & Canoe Accidents
Paddling accidents occur in a variety of scenarios, each presenting different liability questions:
- Collisions with motorized vessels: Speedboats and powerboats failing to maintain proper lookout or yield right-of-way to paddle craft
- Wake damage: Excessive wakes from passing motorboats swamping or capsizing kayaks and canoes
- Outfitter negligence: Tour companies providing defective equipment, inadequate safety briefings, or unqualified guides
- Strainers and hazards: Fallen trees, low-head dams, and underwater obstacles creating entrapment dangers
- Capsizing: Sudden weather changes, strong currents, or improper loading causing vessel instability
- Inadequate safety equipment: Failure to provide or require properly fitting life jackets
Georgia & South Carolina Paddling Regulations
Georgia’s boating safety laws (O.C.G.A. § 52-7-1 et seq.) require kayaks and canoes to carry at least one U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device for each occupant. South Carolina (S.C. Code § 50-21-10 et seq.) has similar PFD requirements and mandates that children under 12 wear a life jacket at all times on any vessel, including kayaks and canoes. Both states require non-motorized vessels to display navigation lights if operated between sunset and sunrise.
Additionally, both Georgia and South Carolina require outfitter and livery operations to comply with safety standards, including providing Coast Guard-approved equipment and conducting safety orientations for rental customers.
Injuries in Paddling Accidents
Kayak and canoe accidents frequently result in drowning and near-drowning injuries, hypothermia from cold-water immersion, traumatic brain injuries from collisions with rocks or vessels, shoulder dislocations and rotator cuff tears, spinal cord injuries, and lacerations from propeller strikes. The lack of protective structure around paddlers makes them extremely vulnerable in collisions with motorized vessels.
Pursuing a Paddling Accident Claim
Liability in kayak and canoe accidents may rest with negligent motorboat operators who failed to yield or maintain safe distance, tour outfitters who provided unsafe equipment or guides, property owners who failed to warn of known waterway hazards, government entities responsible for maintaining safe waterway conditions, and manufacturers of defective kayaks, canoes, or safety equipment. Georgia’s comparative fault statute (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33) allows you to recover damages if your fault is less than 50%. South Carolina permits recovery if your fault is less than 51%. Our attorneys fight to maximize compensation for kayak and canoe accident victims — contact Roden Law for a free consultation.