Have you recently been on a boat and got injured? Are you curious about what will happen if this unfortunate situation ever happens? The law experts at Irwin Law Firm are here to make sure that you have all the information you need when it comes injuries on boats. We are a boat injury lawyer and boat accident lawyer who will make sure you are protected. We are located near Miami.
Let’s Get Busy
Florida is the busiest state for recreational boating in the nation, and it makes up a large percentage of Florida’s tourist industry. Unfortunately, a large amount of watercraft on Florida’s waterways means the state also has the most boating accidents in the country. Were you or a loved one injured in a Florida boat crash? If so, specific laws apply to boat accidents—and it is essential you contact an experienced accident attorney to discuss your case as soon as possible.
Boat Injury Lawyer Laws and Regulations
Because boating is such a large part of Florida’s recreational and tourist industry, more regulations mean more frustration for consumers. Accordingly, there is no age requirement for boating in Florida, and operators older than 30 are not required to have boating licenses or even to undergo boating safety courses. This means that many Florida boaters are not licensed or trained in boating safety, which can make a boating crash even more severe.
What many Florida residents—and even some attorneys—do not know is that any accident that occurs on a public waterway falls under federal admiralty jurisdiction. This means that the case can, and sometimes must, be brought in Florida’s federal courts, which have different judicial procedures. A separate set of laws applies to injuries sustained as the result of boat or cruise accidents, and your Florida personal injury and maritime attorney must know which standards to use when petitioning the court for compensation. For example, you may need to make a claim using the admiralty standards for negligence, not car accident standards. Your attorney must also be qualified to practice in federal court and actually have experience doing so. Not every lawyer has these particular experiences.
Common Boat Accidents
The following is a list of the most common Florida boating accidents:
- Collisions with other vessels
- Collisions with fixed objects
- Flooding
- Falls overboard
- Grounding
- Fuel fires or explosions
- Falls on the boat
- Capsizing
- Striking underwater objects
- Wake damage
- Sinking
Due to the variety of boating accidents, such as fire and fuel accidents, slip and fall injuries, and drowning accidents, no one type of injury is most common other than fatalities caused by drowning. Victims of boating accidents can suffer from burns, traumatic brain injuries, lung infections due to water inhalation, broken bones, and even spinal injuries as the result of tossing. The most serious injuries, however, are often traumatic brain injuries, which can occur if a vessel capsizes or crashes and you are tossed overboard into a stable object, such as a jetty of rocks or dock.
Call Our Boat Accident Lawyer Today
We are your best resource when it comes to maritime law and a maritime lawyer. At Irwin Law Firm we are experts. You can trust our cruise ship lawyers. Get a chance to meet the best maritime attorney in the state! Call or visit us today to get more information. We are located at 205 W. Davie Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315 and can be reached at our office number (954) 775-2301. We are the boat accident lawyer you can trust and we are near Miami.