Boating Accident Attorney In Miami – While Americans have a longstanding love affair with water, there are few places this is truer than in Florida. Of the nearly 13 million registered boats in the United States in 2016, nearly 1 million of them were in Florida. That means that Florida has almost as many boat registrations as California, the state with the greatest number of registered boats with half the population. Throw in the fact that Florida doesn’t require registration for many boats, including smaller, non-motorized boats, and there are a lot of boats in Florida. Florida is better than many states about boating safety. Most states don’t require any kind of license or training to operate any kind of boat, while Florida requires that anyone born after January 1, 1988, must take an approved boater education course or pass an exam before they can operate a boat with an engine of 10 horsepower or more. This includes jet skis and similar watercraft.
Training Can’t Put a Stop to All Boating Accidents
Boating Safety is No Accident – Boating Accident Attorneys In Miami
Even though Florida has education requirements for power boaters, Florida still has experienced a rise in the number of boating accidents. In 2017, there were 766 boating accidents in Florida’s waters, an increase of 52 from 2016. In each of those years, however, there were 67 fatalities resulting from boating accidents in the state. There were 216 boating accidents in Florida during 2017 that involved collisions; 38 percent of those collisions were the result of the operator of the boat failing to maintain a proper lookout or pay sufficient attention to his surroundings.
Much like failure to wear a seat belt is a major factor in land traffic accidents, failure to wear a life jacket is the leading cause of death in boating accidents. Falling overboard has been the leading category of boating accidents since 2003, while drowning has been the leading cause of death. Of those fatalities, 81 percent were not wearing life jackets. Statistics indicate that excessive speed is the third-leading cause of boat collisions. When speeding boats are involved in collisions, passengers are ejected from the boat. They often are knocked unconscious when they hit the water or more solid objects, such as docks, other boats or jetties. Not surprisingly, unconscious people who land in the water often drown.
You Can Take Steps to Prevent Boating Accidents
While boating accidents are just that – accidents – that doesn’t mean they can’t be prevented. Steps you can take to avoid boating accidents include:
- Be attentive, looking out for other boats, people in the water, and obstacles such as docks, rocks, and jetties.
- Just as with a car, don’t drink and drive a boat.
- Don’t speed. Speed kills, especially on the water.
- Take a boating safety course.
Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Miami Boat Accident Lawyer
Boating Safety is No Accident – Boating Accident Attorney In Miami FL
If you have been injured in a boating accident, you should talk to a Miami boating accident attorney to discuss what your options are for recovering damages. Contact Flagler Personal Injury Group at (305) 424-8445 or through our online contact form. Flagler Personal Injury Group serves the greater Miami area.
We handle a variety of cases, so call us now if you have any questions.
View more contact information here: Miami Personal Injury Lawyer.