Hurt in a Boating Accident in South Florida?
South Florida’s waterways, from the Intracoastal Waterway and New River to Biscayne Bay and the inlets along the coast, are some of the busiest in the country. When a boat operator is careless, speeding, or impaired, passengers, swimmers, and other boaters can suffer serious injuries.
The Injury Advocates represents people across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties who were injured in boating and personal watercraft accidents. Boating claims follow different rules than car accident claims, and knowing those differences early can protect your case.
Florida and Federal Boating Law
Florida treats boats as dangerous instrumentalities, but the rules differ from car accidents. Under section 327.32, Florida Statutes, liability for careless operation generally falls on the operator in charge of the boat, not the owner, unless the owner was operating the boat or was on board when the injury happened. That makes it important to identify who was driving and who was aboard.
Boating under the influence is a crime in Florida, with the same 0.08 blood alcohol limit as driving. Florida also does not generally require boat owners to carry liability insurance, so finding every available source of recovery matters. Many accidents on navigable waters are also governed by federal maritime law, and boat owners sometimes go to federal court to try to limit their liability to the value of the boat. These cases have strict deadlines on both sides.
Common Boating Accident Cases
Deadlines and Next Steps
Depending on whether Florida law or federal maritime law applies, the deadline to file a boating injury lawsuit is generally two or three years. Some related deadlines, such as those in federal limitation proceedings, can be much shorter.
If you were hurt, get medical care, make sure the accident is reported, take photos, and write down the names of the operator, owner, passengers, and witnesses. Then call us for a free review.
Related Pages
After a boating accident, evidence can disappear quickly and the rules can be complicated. We investigate what happened, identify every responsible party and policy, and pursue the full value of your claim.
Why Injured Boaters Choose The Injury Advocates
It depends. Under Florida law, liability for careless operation generally falls on the operator, not the owner, unless the owner was operating the boat or was on board at the time. Other claims against the owner, such as negligently letting an unqualified person operate the boat, may also be possible. We look at the facts to identify every responsible party.
Florida does not generally require boat owners to carry liability insurance. If there is no boat policy, we look for other sources of recovery, such as homeowners or umbrella policies, charter company coverage, or other responsible parties.
Nothing up front. Your consultation is free, and we handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means our fee is a percentage of the money we recover for you. If we do not win your case, you owe no attorney’s fees and no case costs.
