Boating Accidents

Florida Boating Accidents Liability

March 5, 2020 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A number of recent Florida boating accidents have been reported across the state, many of those young people on spring break.

Among those reported:

The death of a 19-year-old college freshman in a single-vessel Florida boating accident while on spring break in Sarasota.
The death of a 21-year-old Florida A&M University student who was in a pontoon boat with 10 others off the coast of Panama City. The young man jumped into into the water to help someone else who was in distress, but later lost his life as well. He was a senior business administration student and a member of the Army ROTC.
The death of an 83-year-old boater from New York who was killed while fishing when another boat on autopilot struck his vessel in the Florida Keys. Those aboard the other boat were also from New York.

As our South Florida boating accident lawyers can explain, Florida has – by far – the most reported boating accidents of any state in the country. Last year, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported more than 720 boating accidents. Among those, there were 66 deaths. California, the state with the second-highest number of boating accidents, tallied 350 with 50 deaths. Continue reading

SCOTUS Nixes Punitive Damages for Injuries at Sea Caused by Unseaworthiness

June 24, 2019 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled punitive damages will no longer be allowed in injury lawsuits asserting vessel unseaworthiness and filed under federal maritime law will no longer be allowed pursuit of punitive damages. boating accident

As our South Florida boating accident injury attorneys can explain, this probably won’t apply to most boating accident torts. It will, however, impact claims filed under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) as well as the Jones Act, which pertains specifically to federal maritime law, as well as hundreds of pending asbestos-related injury claims.

(While state workers’ compensation laws bar employee lawsuits against employers for injuries sustained in the course and scope of employment, instead directing them to workers’ comp as an exclusive remedy, injuries suffered at sea are handled differently, under a complex web of federal maritime statutes.)

South Florida Boating Accidents Mar Columbus Day Weekend

October 10, 2011 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

Investigators have identified the man who died after falling off a yacht in Deering Bay as Juan Carlos Morales. The Miami-Dade boating accident took place during the annual Regatta that takes place during Columbus Day weekend.

The 45-year-old Miami resident fell from diving platform on the back of a boat named Gotcha. The victim was a friend of the vessel’s owner. He was then dragged under the yacht where he was fatally cut by the propellers.

Because of the festivities, power boaters that aren’t part of the event often come to Deering Bay over the long weekend. Heavy drinking tends to be part of the celebrations, which have occasionally resulted in serious injuries and deaths.

Morales wasn’t the only one to be involved in a South Florida boating accident this weekend. A woman in her 80’s drowned and seven people are now recovering after their boat sank off the Florida Keys on Saturday. Everyone on the vessel was thrown into the water and they were forced to keep themselves afloat for approximately 20 hrs. before help arrived. One of the survivors, a 4-year-old girl, developed a mild case of hypothermia.

South Florida Boating Accidents
Recreational boating accidents can result in serious injuries for victims. There may be parties who can be held liable for what happened. For example, a boat owner that failed to properly supervise passengers or decided to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol can be sued for Miami personal injury if someone gets hurt as a result. If a boat malfunctions or had a safety defect that caused it to sink or explode and people were injured or killed, the boat owner, boat manufacturer, and boat repair company could be among the possible defendants.

Guest on yacht at Elliott Key killed when he falls into propellers, Miami Herald, October 8, 2011
Man told rescuers his mother, 79, died in his arms after boat capsized, Sun-Sentinel, October 10, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Boat Accidents, Justia
Boating, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

More Blog Posts:
Florida Boating Accident Seriously Injuries Father and His 11-Year-Old Son, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, August 26, 2011
Palm Beach Wrongful Death Lawsuit Seeks Damages from Yamaha Over Fatal WaveRunner Accident That Killed One Teen, Leaving Another With Brain Damage and Physical Injuries, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, May 20, 2011
Man Dies in Florida Boating Accident After Engine Quits and Vessel Capsizes, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, April 30, 2011 Continue reading