Were you recently hurt in a boating accident near Jacksonville, FL? Contact or call Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers at (904) 396-1100 for immediate assistance. You may be entitled to compensation, and our Jacksonville boating accident lawyers can help you fight to maximize your financial recovery.
Since 2012, our legal team has been a dedicated advocate for boating accident victims and families in Northeast Florida. We have over 69 years of combined experience and have helped our clients win tens of millions in settlement deals and jury verdicts.
Let our award-winning litigators help you stand up and fight for every cent you deserve. We offer a free case evaluation and are standing by to take your call now.
How Our Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Boating Accident
What caused your boating accident? Who’s to blame? What happens if someone else tries to blame you? How do you actually go about recovering compensation for your traumatic injuries and suffering?
These are all important questions if you or a family member has been in an accident off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. However, the answers might not be as straightforward as you think. Boating accident cases can mean dealing with Florida state law, federal maritime law, and complicated rules and procedures.
Fortunately, when you turn to our Jacksonville personal injury attorneys for help, you don’t have to worry about finding the answers. We’ll take care of your personal injury case while you have the opportunity to focus on what’s most important: getting better.
As we handle your case, our law firm will:
- Conduct an independent investigation
- Secure critical pieces of evidence, including video footage, pictures, accident reports, vessel maintenance records, accident reports, physical evidence from the vessel and scene, and more
- Consult with knowledgeable boating accident experts and specialists
- Step in and defend you if other parties or insurance companies attempt to say you’re partly to blame
- Negotiate to get the best possible terms in a settlement agreement on your behalf
Rest assured that our accomplished trial attorneys will be fully prepared to reject lowball offers and bring your boating accident lawsuit to a jury, if necessary. We’re ready to invest whatever time, resources, and manpower are needed to ensure that you get the best possible result.
Contact our law office in Jacksonville to learn more. Your first consultation is free, and we work on a contingency fee basis. There’s no upfront cost to hire our law firm – you only pay if we win your case.
Get in touch to get started today.
How Common Are Boating Accidents in Florida?
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), there were 804 reported boating accidents in Florida in 2020.
No other state saw more watercraft accidents that year. California was a distant second, with just 493 boat accidents.
As a result of those 804 boat accidents:
That’s roughly 2-3 boat accidents in Florida per day, causing between 1-2 injuries. Someone is killed in a fatal boating accident in Florida once every five days.
What Causes Most Jacksonville Boating Accidents?
Between the Ft. George Inlet, Mill Cove, Intercoastal Waterway, and Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville has its fair share of places for recreational boating activities.
And, despite the fact that Florida requires anyone born after 1988 to take a boating safety course and get an FWC-issued Boating Safety Identification Card, Jacksonville’s waterways aren’t always safe. Accidents on the water happen, and when they do, it’s typically because someone is negligent.
Some of the leading causes of boating accidents in Jacksonville, Florida include:
- Operator inexperience
- Distraction or inattention
- Failure to look out for other vessels or hazards
- Overloading or improper loading
- Drugs and alcohol
- Weather
- Making sharp or unsafe turns
- Engine or machinery failure
- Grounding
- Hitting a fixed object
- Failure to yield to other vessels
- Not obeying state and local boating laws
- Explosions and fire
Our attorneys will carefully review the facts and evidence of your case to identify every possible cause. Once we understand why the accident happened and how it could have been avoided, we can begin building a strong case for damages against those responsible.
We Handle All Boating Accident Cases in Jacksonville, Florida
Whether you were hurt in a recreational boating accident or injured while working on the water off the coast of Jacksonville, Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
We represent clients who’ve been hurt in all types of boating accidents:
- Sailboat accidents
- Speedboat accidents
- Jet ski accidents
- Canoe accidents
- Kayak accidents
- Rental boat accidents
- Tour boat accidents
- Water skiing accidents
- Commercial boating accidents
- Fishing boat accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
- Yacht accidents
Don’t hesitate to reach out to our accomplished and respected legal team for assistance after your boat accident in Jacksonville. We’re ready to listen to your side of the story, assess the situation, and offer some preliminary guidance about your legal rights and options.
What’s My Boating Accident Case Worth?
The value of your case will depend largely on the types of injuries you sustain and how the accident changes your life. The more catastrophic your injuries and the greater the impact on how you’re able to live your life, the more a related personal injury case will typically be worth.
However, every case is different, so it is important to speak with an attorney about your specific situation. Your attorney will consider things like your age, out-of-pocket costs, pain and suffering, and whether the accident aggravated any pre-existing medical conditions. Working with experts, your lawyer will be able to assess the value of your claim and work to recover all of the money you deserve.
What Damages Are Available to Jacksonville Boating Injury Victims?
Following a boat accident in Florida, you should be entitled to compensation for your out-of-pocket costs and expenses (economic damages) and suffering (non-economic damages).
Our Jacksonville boating accident attorneys will aggressively pursue all damages available to you under Florida law, including money for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Reduced earning capacity
- Loss of quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Mental anguish
- Embarrassment
- Loss of consortium
- Property damage
- Nursing care
- Rehabilitation
If there’s evidence that you were hurt because someone else showed a conscious disregard for your safety or tried to hurt you intentionally, punitive damages could also be on the table.
Boating Accidents in Florida Can Cause Catastrophic, Fatal Injuries
Water-related accidents can be terrifying and traumatic. Victims aren’t just susceptible to injuries you’re likely to sustain in an accident on land – but also water-related injuries.
Our Jacksonville personal injury attorneys are ready to help if you’ve sustained:
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Traumatic brain injury
- Hypoxia
- Drowning
- Hypothermia
- Soft tissue damage
- Concussion
- Spinal cord injury
- Burns
- Neck injury
- Back injury
- Amputation
- Wrongful death, and more.
The first thing you should do after a boat accident in Jacksonville is to get to the hospital. Prompt medical care is the best way to limit the risk of complications and ensure that all of your injuries are properly diagnosed and treated.
Once you’re safe, call Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss a legal strategy to recover financial compensation from those responsible.
Who’s Liable For My Florida Boat Accident?
Following a thorough investigation into your Jacksonville personal watercraft accident, our team may determine that one or more of the following parties are liable:
- Recreational boat operators
- Boat rental companies
- Boat mechanics
- Employers of responsible parties
- Government agencies
- Property owners
- Commercial boat companies
Our law firm will work tirelessly to ensure that anyone who contributed to your boat accident is held accountable.
What’s the Statute of Limitations For Boat Accident Lawsuits in Florida?
Recently, Florida changed its statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits. If your boating accident happened on 3/23/2023 or earlier, the deadline is four years. But if it happened after that date, you will have only two years instead. If you’ve lost a family member in a fatal boating accident in Jacksonville, you’ll also have just two years to take action.
Different deadlines might apply if you were hurt on federally-controlled waterways or if the victim was a minor.
However, one thing is certain. You’ll lose the opportunity to file a claim and demand compensation if you let the statute of limitations expire. Contact a personal injury lawyer to confirm the correct deadline for your case.
Arrange a Free Consultation With a Trusted Jacksonville Boating Accident Lawyer
Don’t let those responsible for your traumatic boat accident off the hook. Hold them accountable by turning to the experienced Jacksonville boating accident lawyers at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers.
Our acclaimed attorneys have decades of combined experience and have secured tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims just like you.
Now we’re ready to stand in your corner and fight to get you the best possible results in your boating accident case, too.
We offer a free initial case evaluation, and there’s no obligation. Give us a call or reach out to us online to schedule yours today.
Our personal injury law firm in Jacksonville, FL also provides:
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