Were You In A Boat Accident? Get Your Life Back.
More personal marine vessels are registered in Florida than any other state in the nation. Florida’s Treasure Coast, with its numerous rivers, bays and lagoons stretching for miles alongside the Atlantic Ocean, makes the area extremely popular with boaters. Unfortunately, the result is hundreds of accidents, with injuries and fatalities at higher rates than car crashes on Florida roads.
Just as with car accidents, negligent boat operators can be held liable for the damages they have caused by their negligence. If you have been hurt by someone else’s negligence or recklessness on the water from Sebastian down to Jupiter, the lawyers at Vocelle & Berg, LLP, can help you recover the compensation you need to move on with your life.
What Causes Boating Accidents In Florida?
Often, boating accidents and resulting injuries are attributable to negligence on the part of the owner or operator of the boat, committing dangerous errors such as:
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Distracted driving
- Driving while intoxicated
Other common accidents involving negligence include:
- A negligent or reckless passenger on the boat
- Another boat, Jet Ski or another personal watercraft being negligently operated in the vicinity
- Boat is rented out by a company without necessary safety equipment
- Rental company is negligent regarding maintenance of the boat
- Boat is rented to an obviously intoxicated person
- Boat is rented to someone who is obviously inexperienced in boat operation
- Boat was designed or constructed in a faulty or dangerous manner
- Boat contains mechanical defect due to negligent repair
Many Negligent Boaters Don’t Even Have Licenses
Motorboats have power and speed capabilities comparable to vehicles driven on city streets. Yet you don’t need a license to drive a boat in Florida. There is no written test or driving test; there is not even a minimum age requirement to operate a boat. The only rule is that if you were born in or after 1988, you are required to take a boater safety course before you may operate a boat in Florida waters. This safety course, however, does not actually take place on a boat but may be completed online, by mail or in a classroom. All of this adds up to the fact that there are many inexperienced, untrained or irresponsible people on the waters, who may be liable to you for injuries they cause through negligent boat operation.
Get A Free Consultation After A Boat Accident
If you have been hurt in a Florida boating accident in Vero Beach or neighboring areas on the Treasure Coast such as Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Okeechobee or Melbourne, contact Vocelle & Berg, LLP, for a free consultation regarding your potential claims.
To get your free consultation, call 772-562-8111 or send our firm an email.
