Boating injury lawyer

Published on: July 12, 2017

Report: Florida Boating Accidents and Deaths on the Rise

According to a recent news article from Jacksonville.com, boating accidents and related cases of personal injury and death are on the rise this year as compared to years past. One of the most important aspects of these findings discussed in the article is not that the numbers are going up, but that they are going up because of boat operators’ conduct.

One person interviewed is a man who repairs docks around the state. He has a 26-foot boat he uses when he is on the job, and he frequently sees first hand how irresponsible people can be when they are out on the water. Some of the more obvious issues involved speeding well above posted limits in certain areas and that are supposed to be no wake zones. He also speaks of a person using a personal watercraft such as wave runner or jet ski that crashed into a dock near where he was working. Continue reading →

Published on: May 22, 2017

West Palm Beach Boating Accident Prevention Focus of Safe Boating Week

By Dean Freeman

One of the most popular activities in our area is going out on a boat. Whether we are talking about inshore fishing, deep-sea fishing, or just taking a ride, boating can be a lot of fun. However, many people do not realize how dangerous boating can be if things are not done right. The other issue is that many people who enjoy boating do so via rental, charter or on a friend’s vessel. In other words, they have little control of the safety of the boat on which they are riding.

Every year in South Florida, there is an added emphasis put on Safe Boating Week. Concern has been heightened this year following the high-profile death of Marlins staff ace pitcher Jose Fernandez. Unfortunately, many serious or fatal boating accidents involve the operator being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Continue reading →

Published on: June 3, 2015

Fatal Fort Lauderdale Boating Accident Kills 1, Injures 2

By Dean Freeman

A 24-year-old Hollywood man was killed and his girlfriend seriously injured in a Florida boating accident in which the vessel, cruising along the Intracoastal Waterway, slammed into a concrete dock. The decedent was thrown from the boat, his head striking the sea wall behind a private home, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Two others on board, including the girlfriend of decedent, were seriously hurt and had to be transported to nearby Broward Health Medical Center by emergency crews. A fourth person on board was unhurt.

Although the investigation is in the early stages, authorities say the boat was moving alongside another vessel, which had six people on board. One witness indicated the two boats were “splashing” each other, and both were reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed. There is some indication two people might have been operating the boat on which decedent was aboard, and investigators are examining whether alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

Continue reading →