Boating Accident

With more than 1,300 miles of coastline, as well as its many lakes and tributaries throughout the state, Florida is often referred to as the “boating capital of the world”. With its perpetual sunny and clear climate, boating in Florida is a year-round water sport enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Nothing compares to spending a day out on a boat with loved ones and friends, creating memories and sharing the joys of Florida’s waterways. Yet, a day on the water can quickly turn into tragedy when a boating accident occurs.

While Florida leads the nation in total number of registered boats, unfortunately,it also leads the nation in the total number of boating accidents, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FFWCC) 2016 Boating Accidents Summary and Statistics Report. In 2016, nearly 70% of the reportable boating accidents in Florida resulted in injury, even death. The attorneys at Action Legal Group understand the many complex issues victims and their loved ones face after a boating accident, and have years of experience in successfully handling boating accident claims. If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a boating accident, please call the attorneys at Action Legal Group today for a free consultation

A boating accident can occur for many reasons, and often times it simply occurs due to the boat operator’s negligence. According to the United States Coast Guard (USCG), in 2016, the top two contributing factors of boating accidents resulting in injury or death were “operator inattention” and “operator inexperience”. Most of these boating accidents could have been prevented had the operator acted responsibly by obeyingthe “navigational rules of the road” on waterways, and practiced reasonable and prudent boating safety. Other causes of boating accidents, include:

As the list above illustrates, a boating accident can occur for a variety of reasons, and the injuries sustained from these type of accidents can be just as varied as well asdevastating for victims and their loved ones. Among the most common types of injuries seen in boating accidents are:

Sadly, the leading cause of death in a boating accident is from drowning, most commonly due to lack of a personal flotation device when falling overboard, capsizing or being thrown from the boat due to collision or grounding.According to the USCG, over 75% of boating accident deaths due to drowning took place on vessels where the operator had no safety instruction training.