Florida’s 2019 boating season is not starting out as hoped. By early April, the state has already seen more boating accidents in many of its most popular boating communities than seen during the entirety of 2018, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. That includes a number of serious accidents, numerous injuries, and alarmingly high rates of deaths.
Some boating accident statistics already complied this year are painting a picture of a serious problem:
- In Lee County, five people were killed in boating accidents in the first three months of 2019 alone. That’s more than double the two boating-related fatalities the County saw in the entirety of 2018.
- FWC investigators are still looking into several recent boating accidents. That includes a Miami Beach jetty crash on April 20 that killed three victims and injured another, a three-person injury crash involving a boat that struck the Escambia Bay Bridge, and a boating accident off the coast of Destin that claimed the life of an off-duty Green Beret, among many others.
- In late March, FWC investigators stressed the importance of boat safety during busy times of year after a boating accident involving two 20+ foot vessels collided into one another. A total of 12 passengers were involved.
As Florida FWC officials have been reporting, 2019 has already seen numerous boating accidents. With warm waters and weather attracting year-round and winter residents, tourists, and younger adults on break from school, local waterways will only get busier. The risks, as a result, will increase.
The FWC and boat safety advocates are stressing the importance of making safety a priority on the waters this spring and summer. Some of the most common preventable causes of boating-related accidents to watch out for include:
- Boater intoxication / boating under the influence
- Distracted boating
- Unlicensed / improperly trained boat operators
- Product defects, defective vessels
- Failure to provide / faulty safety equipment
- Failures to alert boaters of skiers in water
- Inattention and collisions with jetties, bridges, and other hazards
Boat accidents take many forms, and every accident case is unique. However, many boating wrecks are preventable, and result from the negligence or wrongful acts of others.
Your Right to Compensation: Orlando Injury Lawyers Here to Help
Victims injured in preventable boating accidents, as well as families who lose loved ones in fatal boating wrecks which could and should have been prevented, have the right to seek justice and compensation for their injuries through the personal injury or wrongful death claim process.
At Todd Miner Law®️, our Orlando attorneys have decades of collective experience fighting for the injured in civil personal injury and wrongful death cases across the state of Florida. Led by Todd Miner – a former prosecutor and former insurance company defense attorney – we have the tools to help victims when challenges arise in their legal journeys – and are passionate about fighting for the full amount of compensation they deserve.
Have questions about a boating accident and how our firm can help? Give us a call 407-894-1480 at or contact us online to request a free consultation.
