Whether your fishing, island hoping, pleasure cruising or out for sunset ride – boating is part of our community fabric in Naples, Florida. With it, however, comes a likely increased rise in boating accidents, injuries and sometimes death. Florida continues to lead the nation in boating accidents – a problem that is only intensified as summer approaches and temperatures rise.
According to the latest U.S. Coast Guard’s annual report, there were 723 boating accidents in Florida alone in 2017 – an increase of nearly 6 percent from the year before. Florida had the most boating accidents in 2017 compared to any other state. According to the report, 60 of the Florida boating accidents in 2017 involved deaths. It is estimated that the 723 total Florida boating accidents in 2017 resulted in approximately $8.3 million in damages.
Nationwide, the U.S. Coast Guard’s report lists nearly 4,921 recreational boating accidents. Of that number, 599 resulted in fatalities.
According to a report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), vessel collision is the leading type of boating accident in Florida. In fact, the FWC states that collisions account for approximately 29 percent of all boating accidents. Other types of Naples, Florida boating accidents include collisions with fixed objects such as docks and seawalls, flooding, falls overboard, and fuel fires, among others. Far too often these accidents occur because of alcohol or drug use, distracted driving, excessive speed, boater inexperience, hazardous weather, machine failure and failure to follow maritime rules.
When boating accidents occur in Naples, Florida passengers often sustain serious physical injury. Some of the most common boating injuries include:
- Lacerations
- Contusions
- Broken Bones
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Burns
- Back Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Hypothermia
Due to the variety of boating accidents and where they occur, no type of particular injury is the most common. Victims of boating accidents can suffer a wide range of injuries, including spinal cord injuries as a result of being thrown overboard.
When these accidents occur on a navigable public waterway in Naples, Florida, the accident may fall under federal admiralty jurisdiction, which has its own unique set of laws. This means it’s really important that you speak with an experienced Naples personal injury attorney after your accident to evaluate your options.
If you or a loved one were injured in a Naples boating accident due to someone’s fault or negligence such as a distracted boater or a boater under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Weinstein & Cohen has the experience and the Naples personal injury attorneys needed to evaluate your case and secure the compensation you deserve. Weinstein & Cohen’s Naples boating accident attorneys can assist you in recovering damages for your injuries and related losses due to medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. If you or someone you care about has been injured or involved in a boating accident in Southwest Florida, contact the boating personal injury lawyers at Weinstein & Cohen at 239-793-3331 or 305-374-1011, or visit fairnessforall, for an absolutely free and confidential legal consultation to learn more about your options.
