Boating Accident Lawyer

Negligence in Tampa Boating Accidents

Boating offers plenty of enjoyment, but accidents can and do occur. If you are injured on a pleasure craft and want to determine your rights, here are a few important points about a boating accident.

Negligence

If you are injured as a passenger on a motorboat that collides with another vessel, you will need to verify the injury was due to a willful disregard for the safety of persons or property to recover damages. Simply being injured does not automatically mean someone was at fault. Negligence occurs when a person fails to act in a way that expresses prudence and caution for his/her safety and the well-being of others, as an ordinarily rational person would under the same circumstances. To pursue damages, this means that you must prove that another boater failed to act with safety in mind and that this failure directly caused your injury.

A Negligence Claim

To better understand how a negligence claim will work, it is important to identify the main types of accidents experienced on the water. Nearly all pleasure boating accidents will fall into the following categories:

• A collision with a fixed pier, buoy, rock, or sandbar.
• A collision with another boat, personal watercraft, or sailboat.
• Excess speed when hitting the wake of another boat or a wave will make the vessel unsteady.

A collision with a sandbar or rock

It is possible for a boat to strike an underwater object in the best weather conditions. In poor weather and limited visibility, a boat can collide with the coastline. Liability will depend on:

• Relative speed in relation to the conditions.
• Whether the operator is using nautical charts.

A collision between motorboats

In a collision between two boats, it is common for one or both operators to be found at least partially at fault. Operators are responsible for the safe operating of their vessels. This means that injured passengers from either boat may have a claim against the operator if it can be shown that the operator’s negligence contributed to the accident.

Hitting a boat wake or an errant wave

Safe boating practices require the operator to maintain a lookout for anything that may be a hazard to passengers or the boat. If a wake is crossed at high speed, depending on whether passengers are securely sitting or standing, it is possible they may fall overboard. Liability in this type of boating accident will depend on circumstances, such as:

• The size of the wake.
• Traffic on the water at the time of the accident.
• Whether the boat operator warned passengers to take a seat.

Just like in an automobile accident, if a boat operator fails to operate with reasonable care and you suffer an injury due to their negligence, you may be entitled to damages. Please feel free to contact us at 844-HUNTER-LAW any time, day or night, for a free case evaluation.

Do You Need a Tampa Bay Boating Accident Attorney?

Just as Florida leads the nation in motorcycle accidents, the Sunshine State also leads in boat accidents. Personal injury and death can result from accidents involving jet skis, yachts, fishing boats, and even kayaks and canoes. If it floats, the potential exists for something to go wrong.

Boat operators are too frequently negligent in Florida boating accidents. This puts their passengers and the occupants of other craft in danger. We’ll help you determine the strength of your claim. We will examine the details of whether your injury happened during work or recreation and the long-term effects of your accident.

Hunter Law’s knowledgeable and experienced boat accident lawyers will get to know every detail of your case and aid you in determining how best to present your argument to receive compensation to address your damage, injuries, and suffering.