West Palm Beach Boat Crash Injury Attorneys Committed to Representing Injured Clients in Florida
Here in Florida, spending time on the water can be a way of life. We are quite literally surrounded by water, and, because of this, we have more registered recreational boats and water vessels than any other state in the country. Many of our residents even earn their living working on boats and in marinas. Unfortunately, this also means that Florida residents are injured in boating accidents more frequently than residents in any other state. A boating accident can occur on any type of vessel, from a luxury yacht to a fishing boat, or even on jet skis or a kayak. Regardless of whether you were on the water for work or pleasure, if you were injured in a boating accident caused by another person’s actions, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Our Florida boating accident lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Boating accidents are generally more complex than those involving other types of motor vehicles because it can be more difficult to evaluate the physical scene of the accident in order to establish fault when the accident occurred on the open water. This makes the advice of an experienced boating accident attorney all the more valuable. At Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A., we have over three decades of combined experience successfully representing clients who have been injured in various types of accidents, including those that occurred on the water. If you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident, our Florida boating accident lawyers are ready and willing to fight to protect your right to receive compensation for your injuries.
Florida Boating Accident Cases Differ from Traditional Motor Vehicle Accidents
Most cases involving boating accidents are premised on some form of negligence theory. As is the case on the roadways, each individual who operates a boat owes a duty of care to others on the water. This means that a person who operates a boat must act reasonably and responsibly to prevent accidents from occurring. Although this is the standard of care that applies in all motor vehicle accident cases, boating accidents are different in several important ways. A skilled boating accident lawyer will evaluate the following factors in each case:
- Owner vs. Employee vs. Guest: Boating accident cases tend to proceed differently, based upon the injured party’s status as the owner, an employee of the boat’s owner, or a guest. Work-related claims will proceed differently than those involving an injured guest or owner.
- Applicable law: The law that applies in a boating accident case will depend upon where the accident took place. If the accident occurred close to shore, Florida or federal laws may apply, while accidents that occur further out to sea typically involve maritime law.
- Available evidence: An experienced boating accident attorney understands the importance of evaluating all available evidence, including photos that other passengers may have taken while on board, witness testimony, and mechanical evaluations.
Why Choose Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. to Protect Your Rights Following a Boating Accident?
At Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A., we understand how integral boating is to some members of our community, and we know how boating accidents can occur under a myriad of different conditions and circumstances. Our Florida boating accident lawyers handle boating accidents caused by:
- Driver negligence, such as operating at an inappropriately high speed, using drugs or alcohol, or failing to pay attention to other vessels on the water.
- Manufacturing defects, including defective design, construction, or repair.
- Inexperience, where accidents may be caused by the driver’s lack of knowledge as to boating navigational rules, with a violation of the relevant navigational rules giving rise to a presumption that the driver was negligent.
- Weather impact, which may also involve a negligence claim against the driver of the boat.
We differentiate ourselves from other law firms by providing our clients with personalized attention and commitment. At our offices, you will always speak to an attorney—in fact, we provide all of our clients with our cell phone numbers in case of an emergency. We pride ourselves on our integrity and trustworthiness, and we have a proven track record to show our commitment to helping members of the local community.
Contact an Aggressive and Trustworthy Personal Injury Attorney to Discuss Your Florida Boating Accident Case Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident in Lake Worth or elsewhere in Florida, contact Gonzalez & Cartwright at 561-898-0497 or toll free at 888-888-3903 to schedule a free initial consultation today. We have our main office located at 813 Lucerne Ave, Lake Worth, FL 33460, as well as an office in Pompano Beach, Florida. For your convenience, you can also fill out this online form, and we will contact you directly. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your legal rights following the accident and to help you understand the caliber of the attorneys who practice in this office. We are not only dedicated to helping members of the local community, but we actually are a part of the local community. Additionally, our office is fully bilingual, so that we can more effectively represent all of our clients throughout Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Boating Accidents
Yes. You do not assume the risk that another person will act negligently or recklessly simply by agreeing to be a guest on his or her boat. In many cases, it is the insurance company that will be liable for compensating you for your boat accident injuries, making it just as important to contact a reputable boating accident lawyer to protect your rights as an injured guest on a friend’s boat.
Compensation for injuries sustained in a boating accident will vary according to the specific case and severity of the injuries. Like most personal injury cases, you can recover compensation for your direct expenses, such as medical care, lost income, and costs of future medical or rehabilitation care. Additionally, you may be able to recover damages for the pain and suffering and emotional distress that the boat accident caused to you and your family. If the boating accident resulted in death, a wrongful death lawsuit will generally focus on these subjective types of compensatory damages.
Under Florida law, you generally have four years from the date of the boating accident to take legal action. However, if maritime law governs, that timeframe can be reduced to three years.