Cape Coral offers the water that Florida is well-known for, and boating is a favorite activity of those who visit and live in Cape Coral. However, boating can become a dangerous activity under several circumstances. You or a loved one could be entitled to compensation if you were injured:
- While riding on a boat
- While you were in the water
- While on a jet ski that was struck by a boat
If you are the family member of someone who passed away because of one of these circumstances, then you could be eligible for compensation. A Cape Coral personal injury lawyer from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you with your insurance claim or lawsuit. Call us today for a free consultation with a member of our team.
Pursuing Compensation for a Boating Accident
An attorney can help you pursue compensation for a boating accident. You could be entitled to compensation if a boat driver or another party was negligent in causing injuries to you, injuries to a loved one, or the death of your loved one.
A boating accident attorney will review your case and identify any forms of negligence that contributed to your accident. Per the American Bar Association (ABA), a negligent driver does not have to intend to cause you or a loved one harm to be at-fault for your losses.
The following circumstances may involve negligence and could apply to your boat accident case:
Boating Under the Influence
Florida § 327.35 designates boating under the influence as a criminal offense. A driver being intoxicated poses a clear danger and may increase the likelihood that:
- A boat driver will run aground
- A boat driver will strike one or more people who are in the water
- A boat driver will strike another driver
- A boat driver will engage in dangerous maneuvers
If an intoxicated boat driver was involved in your or your loved one’s boating crash, then their intoxication may qualify them as negligent.
Driving the Boat in an Unsafe Manner
Unsafe driving plays a role in many, if not most, boating accidents. A boat’s dangerous operation puts the boat driver, occupants, those on other boats, or those in the water at risk. Some of the acts that qualify as dangerous boating maneuvers are:
- Speeding in general
- Speeding in shallow areas or no-wake zones
- Turning too sharply
- Stopping abruptly
- Going too slow in high-traffic zones
- Failing to adapt to weather and water conditions
Boat drivers must understand how to operate their boat in a variety of conditions. They must also understand the consequences of driving carelessly and must err on the side of caution whenever they are uncertain.
Other factors aside from a driver’s intoxication or their dangerous operation of the vessel may qualify as negligence. A Cape Coral boating accident lawyer from our firm can work with you to determine who caused your boating injuries or loved one’s death and why that person may be negligent.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today to find out how our team goes the extra mile for clients involved in boat crashes.
Your Boat Accident Lawyer Will Handle All of Your Legal Needs
You may deserve compensation for your injuries or the loss of a loved one in a boating accident. To obtain such compensation, you will have to complete either an insurance claim or a lawsuit.
Completing an insurance claim or lawsuit on your own may be challenging. To achieve either of these processes, you may need to:
- Conduct extensive investigation and research
- Review the details of the boat accident
- Review the losses that came from the accident
- Write and file the paperwork to start the lawsuit or insurance claim
- Negotiate with insurance companies or attorneys
- Protect your rights
Insurance claims and lawsuits require a serious time commitment from the person overseeing either process. If you are injured, then your recovery process may limit the amount of time you can spend on the requirements of a lawsuit or insurance claim.
A boat accident lawyer from our firm will do everything necessary to complete your injury lawsuit or insurance claim.
Your Attorney Will Pursue Financial Awards for You
The financial awards that you may receive as a victim of a boating accident will depend on the losses you have suffered. Your lawyer will speak with you, talk with your doctor, and review available evidence to determine what your losses are.
A successful lawsuit may entitle you to compensation for:
- Any emergency care you required after your boating accident
- Your follow-up medical care
- The cost of medication required for pain and any other injury symptoms
- Lost wages caused by your boat accident injuries
- Permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
A wrongful death caused by a boat wreck may cause additional losses. In addition to some of the losses listed above (like pain and suffering), you could receive compensation for the loss of your loved one’s income, emotional support, and the cost of their funeral.
Your lawyer will go over your losses with you and assign a monetary value to them. The value they assign to your losses will be the amount we seek for you through a financial settlement.
We Are Here to Help Those Injured in Boat Accidents
A Cape Coral boating accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you pursue the compensation you may be entitled to. Call us today for a free consultation and to discuss your boat accident claim with a member of our team.
We Can Help.
