877-FL-Injury
Boating Accidents
With nearly 1,200 miles of shoreline and many more boat friendly rivers and lakes, Florida is a boater’s mecca. With agreeable weather making boating a year-round activity, there are many opportunities for people to enjoy the water.
All of these boating opportunities also mean many opportunities for boating accidents, sometimes fatal ones. In 2010, Florida’s boating deaths represented ten percent of all boating deaths in the United States, the highest in the nation. In that year, 69 people lost their lives in boating accidents in Florida.
If someone you care about lost his or her life in a boating accident in Florida, you may be entitled to wrongful death compensation. Contact us if you think the tragic boating accident could have been avoided and that someone else is responsible for your loved one’s death. We can determine whether you are legally entitled to make a wrongful death claim.
It is just as bad an idea to boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol as it is to drive a car while under the influence. Florida state laws are equally harsh on drunk boat operators as they are on drunk drivers. If your loved one lost his or her life in a boating accident where the operator was intoxicated, it may be a case of wrongful death.
The state offers boating safety classes that are proven to reduce boating accidents. Operators under the age of 25 are required to complete the course and pass the test before operating a boat, and others are encouraged to take the course. Of the boat operators who were at the helm during a “reportable” accident in Florida in 2010, 66 percent had no formal boater safety training.
Even without alcohol, irresponsible boating, such as making unsafe maneuvers, can cause a person to go overboard. Improper handling can cause a collision whether with another boat, a dock or other object, and people can be seriously hurt or killed. It is important that boaters view operating a boat as equally dangerous as they do operating a motor vehicle. When safety is forgotten on the water, the price can be extremely high.
If your loved one lost his or her life on a Florida waterway, you need an experienced and aggressive legal team to recover compensation for your Florida boating accident wrongful death case. The Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. is here to get you and your family through this difficult time and complicated process. Call us now at 407-425-2000, or toll free at 888-425-2004 to learn more and schedule a free consultation.
5
