South Florida Personal Injury Blog

Boating accidents are a concern for residents of coastal states, says Broward personal injury attorney Andrew Alitowski. With 1,800 miles of coastline, two-thirds of it comprising the state’s sandy beaches, Florida residents own thousands of boats – and the tourists and part-time residents who enjoy the balmy winter months of Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade Counties operate even more.

There are nearly one million boats registered in the state of Florida, with many of them taking to the canals in Fort Lauderdale and the coast off of the city. Famous for its beaches, Fort Lauderdale has drawn boaters for many years. Unfortunately, not all boat operators are well-versed in the rules of the water, especially those who did not grow up boating, says Fort Lauderdale accident attorney Alitowski.

Boating under the influence, or BUI, is one major cause of boating accidents. Many boating accident personal injury lawsuits involve plaintiffs who were injured by intoxicated boaters. Lots of local Floridians and tourists take to the waters on warm, sunny weekends and especially for holidays. Holiday revelers spend hot afternoons drinking on the boat, but this behavior carries risk: boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs carries criminal penalties, just as drunk driving does. If the boat operator is impaired, he is significantly more likely to cause a boating accident. Thousands of boating accidents in the United States each year are caused in whole or in part by intoxicated boat operators.

Injuries sustained during boating accidents can be severe. For example, wrongful death suits can arise out of especially bad boating accidents. Those involved could suffer head or spinal injuries, which will permanently affect their lives and their ability to earn a living, in addition to resulting in large medical bills. Burns and broken limbs are other possible physical injuries. Property damage occurs in virtually all boating accidents and, although a responsible boater should be insured, the expenses are steep.

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Posted by William Ryan Moore | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Boating Injuries

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Broward injury lawyer Andrew Alitowski provides advice to clients who have been involved in boating accidents. With the high coastal population of South Florida and the beautiful Atlantic ocean, it’s no wonder that so many people take to the seas every year off of the coast of Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade Counties. Still, the scenic waters draw tourists as well as life-long Florida boaters and those with moderate amounts of experience. Tourists, in particular, can be prone to making dangerous errors that can result in boating accidents. Fort Lauderdale accident attorney Alitowski finds that while seasoned boaters are not always perfect, years of experience on the water can lead to a wealth of knowledge regarding safe boating practices.

The United States Coast Guard has found that education regarding safety is important for preventing boating accidents. The Coast Guard compiles annual statistics on boating accidents, which illuminate the causes and the seriousness of the problem. In 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are currently available, boating accidents caused $53 million worth of damage in the United States – an astoundingly high figure. The statistics also show that about 700 people are killed in boating accidents every year. Of those, two-thirds died of drowning. Only ten percent of the drowning victims were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. Additionally, 75 percent of those who drowned were traveling in small boats, less than 21 feet in length.

Of those operators who had a boating accident, only 14 percent had received instruction on boating safety. The top five contributing causes of boating accidents are all preventable: operator distraction, careless or reckless boating, actions of passengers or skiers, boating at an unsafe rate of speed, and the use of alcohol. For those accidents resulting in death, alcohol usage is the highest contributing cause in 21 percent of the cases. Many boat operators are unaware of the stringent rules that they must abide by, especially those involving alcohol. Boating under the influence, or BUI, remains a serious problem in the waterways just as driving under the influence (DUI) is a public concern on the streets.

Fort Lauderdale accident lawyer Alitowski reports that there are close to 13 million vessels registered in the United States at this time. Almost one million of those are registered in the state of Florida and, when combined with the boats registered in other states but operating in Florida, there are about 1.5 million boats operating in Florida’s waters. The attorneys of Alitowski & Moore, P.A., advise all boat operators and passengers to wear life jackets, follow all boating laws, and exercise caution this Memorial Day.

Continue reading "Boating Accident Legal Issues – Fort Lauderdale" »

Posted by William Ryan Moore | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Boating Injuries

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