Not All Boating Accidents Involve Other Boats
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
Florida is one of the best states to live in the entire continental USA if you’re a fan of boating. The southernmost state of the nation combines year round warm, sunny weather with a coastline that surrounds most of the state. This makes it very easy for people who love seafaring trips to hop into a vessel of their own and just hit the water.Unfortunately, with any numerical increase in boats out on the water, so too do the chances of an accident involving boast also rise. In some cases, a boating accident is just like a car accident on land, and two vessels come into contact with each other, causing both injury and damage to the boats. In other cases, however, there doesn’t have to be another water craft present for things to go wrong. This was discovered tragically, earlier in the year.
Coastal Tragedy
On May 2nd, at around 2 pm in the Hollywood area, rescue crews were alerted to an accident out on the water just off the shore of Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park. Three friends, two them experienced boaters, had taken to the water in order to do a little bit of leisure fishing. However, despite the fact that the boaters came prepared and were capable swimmers, they weren’t ready for the rough waters that met them. Their boat capsized, and only one survivor, Thomas Rodriguez was successfully rescued, while the other two drowned.
In this instance, there was no other boat, no collision and no negligence on the part of a different crew on a different vessel. One boat went out, and, unprepared to deal with the unexpectedly rough water, was overturned, causing some of the passengers to drown.
Context Is Important
With any boating accident, the exact sequence of events is always going to play an important role in determining what—if any—legal responses are required. In the case of a capsized boat, while there may not be another party in another craft to bring to court, it’s possible that a defect with the boat the three men were on might have been responsible for the boat overturning. Or, an important product under warranty, such as the radio to communicate for help failed to operate, that might also be more grounds for a case to go to court.
And of course, if there is a collision between two boats, then it’s a matter of determining who may be at fault and assigning blame to the responsible party. In all of these situations, the most important thing to do is not try to navigate the unfamiliar territory of accident law on your own.
You should always seek the help of a personal injury lawyer. And if you can find a lawyer that has experience and a specialization in boating accidents, then you’ll be in even better hands. While some similarities will exist between car and boating accidents, the particular nuances of boat operation and maritime law mean it’s better to have an expert on your side.