What likely began as a fun weekend boating trip turned tragic when two men died after a boat overturned in the James River near the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel in Newport News. The boat involved in this tragic incident was a 1975 Manatee.
Reports indicate that five people were on board the boat when it was “swamped” and the engine failed. Swamping occurs when a boat stays upright and fills with water.
The two men who lost their lives in this incident were Philip Earl Smallwood and William T. Smallwood Jr. The three other people on the Manatee were treated at Riverside Regional Medical Center and later released. Both men lived on Indian Woods Road in Windsor, N.C., according to the Virginian Pilot.
My deepest sympathies go out to the Smallwood family. Losing loved ones is always heartbreaking, but the pain is made even worse when the loss is sudden and completely unexpected.
The exact cause of the accident remains unknown. Marine Police impounded the Manatee to check the engine for any mechanical problems that could have possibly contributed to the incident. However, preliminary reports indicate that the boat was overloaded with the passengers and coolers.
If the preliminary reports are true, it appears this terrible accident could have been prevented. Sadly, this incident illustrates why it is so important to follow boating guidelines and to verify whether there is too much weight on a boat.
Unfortunately, boating accidents are a common occurrence in and around Newport News, Virginia Beach, and other cities. In 2013, there were 64 boating accidents in Virginia and 10 of those accidents involved fatalities.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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