Fishing Boat Accidents

In Florida, with its oceans, canals, lakes, and swampland, fishing is a popular hobby of residents and tourists alike. However, fishing boat accidents are also common, since inexperienced boaters or other parties may fail to take proper precautions when operating a vessel. Injuries sustained in a fishing boat accident can be significant, and the parties responsible for your harm should be held accountable. The Miami fishing boat accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon assist clients in personal injury and wrongful death claims arising out of fishing boat accidents. Our firm helps victims injured on a fishing boat, or in a collision with a fishing boat, in all areas of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as elsewhere in South Florida. If you need legal assistance after being injured in a fishing boat accident, contact our office today to speak with an attorney about your legal options.

Recreational fishing is common in all bodies of water throughout Florida. Rental companies offering fishing vessels operate out of various bays and sounds, as well as the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, various inlets and passes, lakes and ponds, and marshes and swamps. Many boat accidents occur on Florida’s bays and sounds, where two boats are likely to collide. Inattentive or inexperienced boat operators account for the majority of fishing and recreational boating accidents. A boat driver who is boating under the influence of alcohol is also a major contributing factor to many fishing boat injuries. A fishing boat accident attorney can assist Miami residents with determining the cause of their specific accident and suing all of the at-fault parties for damages. This usually involves bringing a claim of negligence.

When a victim is injured as a result of another party’s negligence, he or she can be compensated for the financial impact related to the injuries that the defendant’s negligence has caused. A fishing boat’s owner, rental company, operator, or insurance carrier could all be potential defendants in a claim. Personal injury claims stemming from fishing boat accidents differ based on where they happen. They may occur on navigable waters, which are waters that lead to the ocean, or on non-navigable waters, such as lakes or ponds. In South Florida, many fishing vessels operate in the ocean or a bay, and this involves traveling on navigable waters.

Boat owners and operators have a duty to people onboard, as well as to other waterway travelers, to act in a reasonable and prudent way. When they breach this duty, and injuries result, they can be held accountable with the assistance of a Miami fishing boat accident attorney for the harm caused. Additionally, boat owners or companies can be liable for negligent entrustment when renting or loaning out their fishing boats. Since there is no age requirement for boating in Florida, allowing an underage or inexperienced boater to operate a fishing vessel can be extremely dangerous. Negligent parties can be responsible for a victim’s past and future medical costs, loss of income, any changes in earning capacity due to their injuries, and pain and suffering damages.

Serious injuries, such as broken bones, brain trauma, and even death from drowning, can result from a fishing boat accident. Victims and their families often need to pursue legal action to deal with the costs associated with such significant injuries. Having seasoned boat accident attorneys like Robert Dixon and his colleagues on your side is important to preserving your legal rights in these complex cases. If you have been injured, or if a loved one has suffered a fatality, due to a fishing boat accident, call 877.499.4878 or contact our office online to schedule a free consultation with a fishing boat accident lawyer in the Miami area. We represent people in Miami, West Palm Beach, and other South Florida cities.