request a consultation
Fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch with you right away.
No other state is better known for recreational boating than Florida. Given its proximity to Tampa Bay, Largo sees more than its fair share of boaters each year—even by the standards set by the rest of the state. Unfortunately, more people operating watercraft means more opportunities for accidents to occur due to reckless or careless misconduct. These collisions can result in injuries that fundamentally alter the lives of those who sustain them.
Filing suit over damages from a boating accident is very different from litigation over accidents on land, as our seasoned personal injury attorneys could affirm. If you sustained harm in a watercraft accident caused by another party’s negligence, seeking representation from a skilled Largo boat accident lawyer could help you recover a fair damages award for your avoidable suffering.
Common Boat Collision Injuries and Losses
Unfortunately, boat accidents often cause more severe damage than motor vehicle accidents at similar speeds. This is largely due to the fact that boat occupants rarely have any safety devices like seatbelts or airbags to protect passengers from external trauma. Bone fractures, soft-tissue injuries like muscle tears, and traumatic damage to the spine and/or brain are common consequences of incidents like this. Even someone not catastrophically hurt right away may still be at risk of drowning immediately after a boat wreck.
With all this in mind, it can be important to account for both past and future repercussions—as well as both economic and non-economic ones—of such an incident, including:
- All necessary medical expenses
- Past and future loss of working income
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Personal property damage
- Lost consortium
- Physical and psychological suffering
Our Largo boat accident attorneys could explain in more specific detail what losses you may be able to recover for.
Proving That Negligence Caused a Boat Crash
Even though it may seem obvious that another party’s recklessness caused your accident, a process must still be followed to verify this negligence in court. Beyond proving that the named defendant violated the duty of care applicable to them and other boaters, the injured party must also establish that their accident likely would not have happened in the first place without the defendant’s irresponsible act. This indicates that all damages you may want to be compensated for stemmed directly from the accident.
Help from a Largo boat accident attorney can make a huge difference when it comes to collecting relevant evidence like eyewitness testimonies, police reports, medical documentation, and photos of injuries and vessel damage. This evidence can then be incorporated effectively into a civil claim. Legal support could also be crucial to disproving allegations that you were partly to blame for your own damages, since “comparative fault” along these lines could otherwise lead to a reduction in available compensation.
Speak with a Largo Boat Accident Attorney Today
Under Florida law, all boaters are required to follow the applicable rules for safe travel around navigable waterways. This includes adhering to posted speed limits, no-wake zones, and prohibitions against boating under the influence. Anyone who violates these laws, or otherwise acts irresponsibly, could be held financially liable for all consequences of a collision they cause through their misconduct.
Following such an incident, contacting a Largo boat accident lawyer for guidance should be your top priority. Schedule your initial consultation by calling our firm today.