Late summer on Michigan's lakes means more boats, more jet skis, and more people on docks, and unfortunately, more injuries too. Responsibility depends heavily on the specifics of what happened.

• The boat operator, if reckless driving, speeding, or alcohol use contributed to the crash
• The boat owner, if they lent their vessel to someone unqualified or knew it had a mechanical issue
• A rental company, if a rented boat or jet ski was poorly maintained or the renter wasn't properly instructed
• A marina or dock owner, if unsafe conditions like broken boards, poor lighting, or lack of proper railing contributed to a fall
• A manufacturer, if a defective part on the boat or jet ski caused the incident

Michigan doesn't require boat insurance the way it requires auto insurance, which means these cases often rely more heavily on gathering evidence quickly, since there's no automatic no-fault coverage to fall back on the way there is with car crashes.

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