The Florida Boat Accident Guide was created by Serrano Law to help residents who have been injured obtain maximum compensation for their claim.
Law Office Located In Lutz
Have you been involved in a boat accident? We know that with good weather getting out on the water is a great activity, until it’s not. Accidents can cause severe injuries. We know how awful this must be for you. Your life has likely become very complicated and you are looking for a way to get justice. Our Florida boat accident lawyers will fight to get you nothing less than what is full and fair. Call us right away to set up your free initial consultation to get started.
Causes of Boat Accidents
In order to bring a claim, you must prove that there was someone who caused your accident because they were being negligent. Then, you must prove that, had they acted more carefully, you would not be hurt like you are right now.
You may be wondering if your accident would make you eligible to bring a claim. Here are the top examples of boat accident causes that might make you eligible to bring a claim:
Careless Operators
When people hop on a boat wanting to have a good time and their attention may be on things other than operating their boat. This inexcusable carelessness can hurt innocent victims like you.
Inexperienced Operators
When people try to operate a boat but don’t know what they are doing. Before someone tries to operate a boat, they need to have a full understanding of how to do so safely. Otherwise, they end up causing catastrophes.
Speeding
When a boat operator operates the boat at an excessive speed. They have less time to react to the dangers they encounter and they put themselves and other people on the water at danger.
Drunk Operating
Operating anything while you’re under the influence is not safe or legal. If you were harmed by someone who was drunk or on drugs while they were out on the water operating a boat, then you’re likely entitled to get the compensation you deserve.
Machine Failure
Anyone who uses a boat needs to make sure it is in good repair. If they neglect to care for their boat and then get in an accident due to something they could have and should have fixed, they are going to be responsible for the harm that causes.
There are several other reasons you may want to bring a claim. Our Florida boat accident lawyers are here for you and will tell you what legal action you should take.
How Your Claim is Valued
A boat accident claim’s value is based off of how badly you were hurt and how much damage the accident caused you. If you were left harmed so badly that you couldn’t return to work and you couldn’t enjoy playing with your kids or going for runs with your dog, it is all factored into your compensation result.
There are two categories of damages that you can be compensated for after a boat accident. The first one is called economic damages and the second one is non-economic damages.
Economic damages are things such as your lost wages, medical expenses, and rehab costs. Anything that you can see on a receipt or calculate on paper is typically going to be considered your economic damages. These are fairly easy to calculate since they involve easily accessible numbers. For example, if your daily wage for your job was $15 an hour, eight hours a day, and you missed 180 days of work due to your injuries, you can expect that $21,600 in lost wages will be calculated into your economic damages.
The other type of damages, which is non-economic, is harder to calculate because it is based on things such as the pain and suffering you endure after your accident. It can also be the loss of enjoyment in your life or the loss of quality of life. If you now suffer anxiety and depression due to your injuries, you can include that into your non-economic damages.
Our Florida boat accident lawyers are going to fight for your rights to full and fair compensation. You deserve to get compensation for every damage you have suffered from this accident. No one deserves to have been put through something as traumatic as a boat accident, and we want to fight to protect the rights of innocent victims.
Cost of a Boat Accident Lawyer
We had a client the other day in Tampa ask us if there were any upfront costs that were necessary to hire a lawyer to handle a boat accident claim. The answer is no. We handle these cases on a contingency fee, which means our attorney’s fee amounts to a percentage of the recovery, depending on what stage the case is in.
As far as costs, there are several costs involved. If you have to file a lawsuit, there are filing fees. There are service process fees. The way we handle these claims is if we accept the case, we will advance the costs. That way you’re not coming out of pocket in a time that is usually difficult where you’re trying to get through a situation where you’ve been injured. Give us a call at our Tampa office.
Choosing The Right Boat Accident Attorney
Hiring an attorney is a very important decision, especially when you need someone to navigate through what’s usually a difficult time after you sustain an injury. It goes without saying, if it’s a boating accident case or an auto accident case, you need to communicate with your attorney so you can develop the trust that is necessary for you to be able to successfully prosecute your claim. At the initial stage during your consultation, you want to see your attorney. You want to be able to ask all the questions, and you want them to be able to talk to you about their opinion regarding the evaluation of your case. It is impossible to evaluate a case fully at the initial consult.
Throughout the journey and during the process, which sometimes can be a long arduous one, you need to have constant communication with your attorney. A client recently asked us how to hire the best boating accident attorney. It’s the one that’s going to talk to you and the one that has experience handling those claims. Give us a call and we’ll talk to you about your boating accident claim.
How Boat Accidents Differ From Other Accident Cases
We had a client that was involved in a boat accident in the Tampa Bay area. They asked a very good question during the phone consultation: “Are there damages that I can recoup in a case like this?” He had been injured from the negligence of another boating driver. Are the damages different from a regular auto accident personal injury case? The answer is no. It’s an injury case.
Sometimes, there are different issues that are involved with regard to liability and responsibility, but ultimately the damages that you recoup are going to be damages for past medical bills, the medical bills you’re reasonably certain to incur in the future, and damages for pain and suffering. Contact a lawyer who is experienced in handling boating accident cases. We can give you a free evaluation and take a look at your case. Give us a call in Tampa today.
Boat Accident Case Timeline
During a phone call we had with a potential client recently who had been involved in a boating accident, the client asked how long we thought his case might take. The answer to that is it depends on every single situation in the case. Particularly, it depends on how long it takes for the person to finish treating for medical care.
The second part is whether or not the insurance company is going to give us a reasonable offer or not without filing a lawsuit. Lately, it’s been the case that we often have to file a lawsuit, which is fine. If your case does have to go to litigation, it is going to take a little bit longer. It’s important to hire a lawyer that is familiar with litigation and taking cases all the way to trial. If you have questions about your boating accident case or really any other case, please give us a call.
Working With Insurance in a Boat Accident Case
During a consultation recently for a client who was injured in a boating accident, they asked if they should work directly with the insurance company on their own. My advice is absolutely not. Many times, the insurance company will not take you seriously unless you hire a lawyer. It’s important to hire a lawyer that the insurance company will take seriously. Trial lawyers in particular are taken seriously by insurance companies, especially with boating accidents. If you were involved in a boating accident or if you have any other questions, please give us a call.
Common Mistakes in a Boat Accident Case
A potential client recently asked me what some common mistakes are that people make when they’re involved in a boating accident. The most important one is not hiring a lawyer that’s familiar with boating accident claims. There are numerous laws that are different for each type of case and numerous laws that apply to boating accidents in particular. It’s very important to hire a lawyer that’s one, familiar with boating accidents and two, will take your case all the way to trial if necessary. If you have any questions about your boating accident claim or any other questions, please give us a call.
Damages Available in a Boat Accident Case
If you are injured in a boating accident in Florida, there are various damages and elements involved in a claim. I had a client recently in Wesley Chapel ask me about what damages they could recover since they had been injured as a result of someone else’s fault in a boating accident. The damages are similar to any injury claim. You’re going to have damages for your past medical bills, the future medical bills you’re reasonably certain to incur in the future, and damages for pain and suffering in the past and the future, sometimes even lost wages, if it applies. You need a lawyer to be able to talk to you at that initial consultation to effectively evaluate your claim and guide you through a difficult process. If you have been injured in a boating accident, give us a call at our Wesley Chapel office.
When a Boat Accident Report Must Be Filed
We had a case come in recently in which there was an issue as to when you are supposed to report a boating accident case in Florida. In Florida, if you’re involved in a boating accident and there are injuries or property damage exceeding $2,000, you have to notify the police or Florida Fish and Wildlife as quickly as possible. If you have any questions about the timing of getting in touch with law enforcement or any other questions regarding a boating accident, please give us a call.
Liability For a Boat Accident Injury
Boating accident injuries are tricky. We had a client recently who was injured in a boating accident in the Tampa Bay area. They asked at the initial consult who they could pursue for damages they had sustained? His damages were medical bills. His medical bills had eclipsed $50,000.
It turned out that there was an individual riding the other boat, and that person was negligent. They were driving the boat very fast, at very high speeds, and smashed into my client’s boat. He could pursue that driver as well as the owner of the boat. The owner of the boat would be vicariously liable or responsible for the actions of the permissible boating driver. Boating accident cases, like most cases, have to be navigated in a certain way. You need an experienced lawyer by your side who is willing to take your case to trial. Give us a call.
Call Our Florida Boat Accident Lawyers Today for a Free Consultation
If you’ve been hurt in a boat accident because of a negligent party, please call our Florida boat accident lawyers as soon as possible. We want you to get the results you deserve and get justice for your damages. Do not hesitate to reach out to us as soon as you can. We want to hold the liable party accountable for what they did to you. Call us today to set up your free initial consultation.
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