Skip to main content Boat Accident Attorney in Fort Lauderdale
8151 Peters Road, Suite 4000Plantation, FL 33324
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Boat Accident Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale
Boating in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is extremely popular and makes up a significant portion of the economy and tourist industry. This means there are many different boats and watercraft on all of Florida's waterways every single day, but far too many of these wind up in accidents.
If you’ve been injured in a boating accident in Fort Lauderdale due to the negligence or recklessness of another party, you may be entitled to compensation. A boat accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale may be required to help you sort through the evidence, identify potentially liable parties for your injuries, and chart a course of action for recovering compensation after you have been seriously injured.
No one expects that hitting the open water will leave them reeling from the consequences of a boat accident, but the attorneys at Morgan & Morgan have firsthand experience from helping numerous victims recover in these devastating circumstances. Our boat accident lawyers in Fort Lauderdale are there to help you answer some of the difficult questions that come to mind when dealing with a boat accident.
A Florida boating accident lawyer may be required in order to move forward with a lawsuit and to ensure that your rights are legally protected. Although not every boating accident will lead to severe property damage, devastating personal injuries, or the need for a boating accident attorney, you may need a lawyer to guide you through this time if you have sustained a catastrophic injury. You need to understand the complex boating laws, get assistance with filing a boating accident claim, and have someone who's there to support you as you pursue compensation and justice.
Sadly, far too many people have devastating injuries from boat accidents. Even worse, some of the clients we work with are surviving family members of those who have been killed in a boating accident. In these situations, we file a wrongful death lawsuit to help family members get the support they need.
If you’ve been injured or have lost a loved one due to a boating accident, reach out to Morgan & Morgan today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to take your first steps toward recovery.
Get answers to commonly asked questions about our legal services and learn how we may assist you with your case.
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What Are Florida's Maritime Laws?
There are no age requirements in Florida for boating, and people who have been born before 1988 are not even required to have a Florida boating license or to undergo a rigorous boating safety course. This means that there are many people out on the open water without a clear understanding of relevant safety requirements or simple courtesies that can help to minimize the possibility of boating accidents and injuries. Boating crashes can be even more severe when someone is not paying attention, is under the influence of drugs, or is under the influence of alcohol.
Many Florida residents are not aware that public waterway accidents fall under federal admiralty jurisdiction and law. This means that different judicial procedures may apply because you have to bring your case through Florida's federal courts. Separate laws also applied to those injuries sustained from cruise accidents or boat accidents. You need a knowledgeable boating accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who has handled cases like this before to ensure that there is a thorough understanding of the legal issues at play.
As just one example, you may not be using car accident standards in order to open a personal injury claim for a boating accident. Instead, you may need to bring your claim using admiralty standards for negligence. Furthermore, if your case does proceed in this manner, you will need an attorney who has been admitted to practice in federal court and has extensive experience in preparing for this and doing this. Not every attorney necessary gets these criteria.
What Are Common Causes of Florida Boating Accidents?
The leading type of watercraft accident in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is a collision with another vehicle. There are also high numbers of injuries for people who are being towed for watersport activities, and there are plenty of drowning accidents associated with the use of alcohol or drugs. These accidents can have devastating consequences for the victims. That victim may suffer fatal injuries, or if they are lucky enough to survive, may be coping with the impacts of this accident for many years to come.
Devastating boating accidents in Fort Lauderdale not only destroy a vacation but can leave a victim coping with the need for medical care and the consequences of lost wages for years or even decades later. When it comes to fatal boating accidents in Florida, many of these overboard drowning incidents involve the use of alcohol or drugs. However, these are just a small sampling of some of the common causes of boating accidents in Florida. Falls on the boat, falls overboard, grounding, flooding, capsizing, fuel fires, explosions, striking objects underwater, wake damage, and sinking are other leading causes. There are many different waterways on which these boating accidents can happen, including ports, harbors, creeks, rivers, the gulf, the ocean, bays, passes, inlets, canals, cuts, swamps, and marshes.
Operator inexperience, boat operator inattention, or intoxicated boat operators all too often contribute in terms of negligence to a Florida boating accident. Far too many preventable and reportable boating accidents in Fort Lauderdale and across Florida take place when the operator of a boat has had too much to drink. This is known as boating under the influence and refers to situations in which the operator has consumed alcohol or drugs and is unable to operate the boat safely.
One of the most important aspects of any boating accident claim in Florida is that the victim must be able to show how another party was responsible. If the person at the scene who caused the accident was arrested for boating under the influence, that makes it relatively easy to show how their behavior directly contributed to or entirely caused the accident. However, it is not always so easy to illustrate why someone else is accountable for the accident, and this is where a qualified boating accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale is crucial to tell him the entire story. Our lawyers at Morgan & Morgan know what it takes not only to gather the evidence but to piece it together in a way that explains what happened to the court.
What Should I Look for in a Boating Accident Lawyer?
There are several different things you need to consider when deciding to hire a lawyer for a Florida boating accident, including:
- Does the lawyer have the right legal experience representing boating accident victims?
- Does the attorney practice law in your community and throughout Florida?
- Does the law firm have the resources, time, and network to take on your personal injury lawsuit?
- Does the attorney have appropriate trial experience and settlement negotiation experience in boating accidents?
- Does the law firm work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they get paid when they negotiate a successful settlement or verdict for you?
An experienced Fort Lauderdale boating accident lawyer should be contacted as soon as possible after an accident. There are many complex legal questions that must be answered immediately, and an investigation conducted to start collecting evidence. Only when you have a qualified attorney at your side is it easier for you to go through the process of recognizing your rights and beginning to collect these important details.
The support of a lawyer is instrumental during this challenging time, particularly for a victim who is trying to figure out what the future of their life looks like. If you're currently struggling to figure out the legal consequences of such a lawsuit, and you need help in determining the basics of a Florida boating accident, turn to the attorneys at Morgan & Morgan. Our experienced Fort Lauderdale boating accident lawyers have been in this position many times before and can recognize some of the challenges and uphill battles you may be concerned about.
Contact Morgan & Morgan Boating Accident Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale
Our Florida boating attorneys at Morgan & Morgan have represented many different kinds of victims in numerous types of cases. We work as hard as possible to help explain all of the negligence-related issues to you in a lawsuit, and we'll work as hard as possible to recognize your personal desires when handling a case like this. This is because our law firm knows just how hard it can be to go through the process of recovering compensation. We recognize that you may have many long years ahead of you and that your life may have been substantially altered as a result of going through a boating accident.
We will work hard to meet you exactly where you're at and to help you work through the legal process and handle each different situation as it emerges. We'll be there to answer your questions, provide you with prompt and communicative updates about your situation, and tell you more about what we recommend you do in specific situations. You deserve to have the guidance of a law firm that cares about your future and will do everything possible to fight for your interests.
If you need to speak with someone about how to open a legal claim or even if you've just lived through a boating accident and need someone to determine liability, know that you can retain the lawyers at Morgan and Morgan for more help.
Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to get started.
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