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Florida had 735 boating accidents in 2022, 16 fewer than in 2021. (The data for 2023 will be released in June of 2024.) The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Acting Director for the FWC Division of Law Enforcement, Lt. Col. Brian Smith, said “We had fewer boating accidents in Florida in 2022 than we did in 2021, but fatalities state wide were up. I am proud of the effort our officers and boating and waterways staff put into getting boating safety messaging out to the public throughout the year, and my hope is we will see both of these statistics decrease next year.”

Florida Boating Accident Attorney Assists Boating Accident Victims

Attorney Randall L. Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. serves all of Florida and aggressively assists boating accident victims to receive the compensation to which they are entitled when they are injured because of the negligence of another.

Generally, boating accidents are caused by any number of reasons, including human error and problems with equipment. After seeking medical attention, it is important to seek the counsel of a Florida personal injury attorney because determining who is liable, in other words, at fault takes an experienced legal team.

Filing Claims Following Boating Accidents

It is critical when seeking compensation for losses to prove liability. Boating accident victims must know who is responsible and prove it to insurance companies. This responsibility could be any number of entities, including, but not limited to, boat owners, other boat operators, boat captains, passengers, boat manufacturers, boat maintenance companies, and boat rental companies.

Boat Owner Liability

Boat owners who negligently operate their boats may be held liable for injuries or damage caused by their negligence or violation of boating regulations. Boat owners who give their consent to allow someone else to operate their boats may also be held liable for any accidents that the boat operator may have.

Other Boat Operators’ Liability

If a boating accident is caused by another boat, then that boat owner or operator may be liable in a personal injury case.

Boat Captain Liability

Boat captains must operate their vessels safely under Florida law. Inexperienced, impaired, distracted, and/or reckless captains may be liable for boating accidents.

Passenger Liability

Passenger liability can be challenging if a passenger interferes with the safe operation of a boat. If the passenger is impaired because of alcohol and/or drugs, and these were supplied by the boat captain or owner, there may be open questions regarding liability.

Boat Manufacturer Liability

Some boating accidents are the result of issues with the boats. There could be defective equipment that could make the manufacturer liable for Florida boating accident victims’ injuries.

Boat Maintenance Company Liability

If an accident is caused by faulty repairs, then the maintenance company may be liable for any accident that is caused by its negligent maintenance work.

Boat Rental Company Liability

Boat rental companies are required by Florida law to provide safe boats to renters. Should boats be poorly maintained and cause accidents, then the boat rental company could be liable.

Florida Boating Accident Attorney Investigates Boating Accidents

The Spivey Law Firm collects information, such as witness testimony, photos of the damage and scene, and any video or photos taken of the accident by those present and may also use accident re-creation and/or expert witnesses to corroborate an accident victim’s case.

Should you or a loved one be injured because of the negligence of another in a boating accident, contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. 24/7 at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or contact us online at SpiveyLaw.com. There are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you.