Florida has over 1,350 miles of ocean shoreline and 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and intricate waterways on which recreation lovers can enjoy all sorts of water sports. With over 900,000 boats registered in Florida and approximately 400,000 boats registered in other states using Florida’s waterways, boating accidents happen. Not surprisingly, the United States Coast Guard reports that each year there are more than 8,000 boating accidents resulting in more than 4,000 serious injuries and 800 deaths.
The operator of a boat and its’ owner has a duty to exercise a reasonable degree of care in order to prevent injuries to passengers in the boat and swimmers or others in the water or boats around them. The most common boating accidents are collisions with other boats, slip and falls on the boat, sinking and boat disappearance. Boating injuries usually occur because of a reckless or careless operator, boat malfunctions or an inexperienced operator.
Although most boating accidents occur due to the boat operator’s negligence or recklessness, some boating accidents are caused by a defect of the boat itself. In 2002, for example, 282 boating accidents occurred due to some type of failure of either the boat’s machinery or its hull. When an injury results because of a defective or dangerous condition of a boat, the injured person may have a products liability case against the manufacturer of the boat.
If you have been injured in a boat accident or suffered an injury while engaged in other water sport activities, our experienced personal injury attorneys can help. Call us today for a free case evaluation to discuss your situation and go over the options available. We will work with insurance companies and other parties involved to make sure all your needs are handled quickly and appropriately.
Complex legal and safety issues may be involved with injuries that occur on and around the water, and there are several questions that must be analyzed in order to correctly determine the value of a boating injury claim. When a water-related accident occurs, a thorough investigation and evaluation of its cause by an experienced legal team is always the best way to proceed. If you have been injured on a boat or are the owner of a boat on which a person was injured, call Holland & Lamoureux, P.A. now at (866) 225-4907. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don’t delay. You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation.