Find a boat accident lawyer near Fort Worth: who to report to and what to save

A boat operator must report a death within 48 hours, and any injury needing more than first aid, to TPWD or local police. The written report is due in 30 days. In 2025, TPWD counted 9 boating incidents in Tarrant County, with 6 deaths. A claim over a boat injury generally must be filed within 2 years.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (23)

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Map of the lakes around Fort Worth, with Lake Worth to the northwest, Eagle Mountain Lake to the north and Benbrook Lake to the southwest
TPWD counted 6 boating deaths in Tarrant County in 2025. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Who do you call after a boat accident near Fort Worth?

Call 911 first, then tell the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) game warden or local police. The operator must do this after a death, an injury that needs more than first aid, or more than $2,000 in damage. A death must be reported within 48 hours.

The operator also owes you something in writing. He or she must give an injured person a name, an address and the vessel's ID. Get it before everyone leaves the ramp.

Who runs the water matters. Activity on Eagle Mountain Lake follows the Tarrant Regional Water District's General Ordinance, along with state and federal rules. Lake Worth is different. The city owns that lake, but the water district holds the water rights. The city's Marshals Office Lake Patrol watches the lake.

How common are boating injuries around Fort Worth?

Place (TPWD, 2025)IncidentsInjuredKilled
Tarrant County956
Eagle Mountain Lake452
Benbrook Lake202

I did not see Lake Worth listed in TPWD's 2025 report. That does not mean no one was hurt there. It may mean nothing was reportable that year.

One number stands out statewide. Of the 50 people who died in Texas boating incidents in 2025, 42 were not wearing a life jacket.

Who pays when a boat injures you near Fort Worth?

Usually the boat's owner or driver, through a boat policy or a homeowner's policy. I did not find a Texas rule that makes every boat owner carry liability insurance, so ask for the policy early.

If a government boat caused the crash, a different clock runs. The City of Fort Worth's charter asks for written notice within 180 days. Send it to HR/Risk Management, 200 Texas Street. For other local governments, notice is due in 6 months.

Blame is shared in Texas. A jury that puts more than half the blame on you bars the claim. A missing life jacket is something the other side may raise, and 42 of the 50 people who died in Texas boating incidents in 2025 were not wearing one.

What should you save after a boat accident?

  1. Get medical care. John Peter Smith Hospital and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth are both Level I trauma centers.
  2. Photograph the boats, the damage, the weather and the shoreline. Note the lake name and the nearest ramp.
  3. Save names and phone numbers for everyone aboard, and for the game warden or officer who came.
  4. Ask for the operator's written information, then ask TPWD for the accident report after it is filed.
  5. Keep your life jacket, clothes and any broken gear. Do not clean or repair them.

What happens if someone died in a boating accident near Fort Worth?

We are sorry. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office, at 200 Feliks Gwozdz Place, answers at 817-920-5700 at any hour. The office does not perform autopsies to support lawsuits.

After a boating death, the family's lawsuit generally must be filed within 2 years of the death. The claim belongs to the spouse, children and parents, and one of them can file for all.

How long do you have to sue over a boat accident near Fort Worth?

Generally 2 years. If the injured boater was a child, the clock can be paused until age 18. Do not wait for the TPWD report. It can take time, and the deadline keeps running.

Questions

Can a passenger sue the boat driver?

Yes, a passenger can bring a claim against an at-fault driver. Texas lowers the award by the passenger's own share of blame.

Is Benbrook Lake run by the city?

I did not verify who manages each ramp or park there. Find out who owns the place where the crash happened, because that decides which agency gets a claim.

Do I have to file the written boating report myself?

The operator who was involved must file it with TPWD within 30 days. You can still ask TPWD for a copy.

Does a lake rule change my claim?

It can show what was expected of the boaters. Eagle Mountain Lake follows a district ordinance on top of state law, so ask for the rule that applied.

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Sources (23)

  1. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Reporting a Boating Accident, checked 2026-11-09. “Results in death; (within 48 hours) or Injuries to a person requiring medical treatment beyond first aid; or Causes damage to vessel(s) or property in excess of $2000.00”
  2. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Reporting a Boating Accident, checked 2026-11-09. “the accident must be reported to the department on or before the expiration of 30 days after the incident.”
  3. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Recreational Boating Incident Statistics 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “Tarrant 9 5 6 $42,000.00”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Reporting a Boating Accident, checked 2026-11-09. “Give his name, address, and identification of his vessel in writing to any person injured and to the owner of any property damaged”
  6. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Recreational Boating Incident Statistics 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “Life Jacket Not Worn 42 84.0%”
  7. Tarrant Regional Water District, Eagle Mountain Lake, checked 2026-11-09. “Activity upon this lake is governed by the General Ordinance of the Tarrant Regional Water District”
  8. City of Fort Worth, Lake Worth Lease Management, checked 2026-11-09. “Lake Worth is the only water supply owned by the City of Fort Worth.”
  9. City of Fort Worth, Lake Worth Lease Management, checked 2026-11-09. “Although, Fort Worth owns the land, Tarrant Regional Water District has the water rights.”
  10. City of Fort Worth, Lake Worth Action Plan (May 2019), checked 2026-11-09. “City Marshals Office Lake Patrol monitors lake elevation and conditions, including debris in the lake.”
  11. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Recreational Boating Incident Statistics 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “Eagle Mountain 4 5 2 $22,000.00”
  12. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Recreational Boating Incident Statistics 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “Benbrook 2 0 2”
  13. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”
  14. City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “HR/Risk Management 200 Texas Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102”
  15. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  16. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  17. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  18. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  19. Tarrant County Medical Examiner, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “Assistance is available 24 hours a day at 817-920-5700.”
  20. Tarrant County Medical Examiner, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “does not perform autopsies to support civil litigation matters”
  21. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(b), checked 2026-11-08. “A person must bring suit not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues in an action for injury resulting in death. The cause of action accrues on the death of the injured person.”
  22. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.004(a)-(b), checked 2026-11-08. “An action to recover damages as provided by this subchapter is for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the deceased. (b) The surviving spouse, children, and parents of the deceased may bring the action or one or more of those individuals may bring the action for the benefit of all.”
  23. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”

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