Boating accidents can be caused by a number of factors. Many studies have things like lack of attention, operator inexperience, or unlawful speed, as being leading causes of boating injuries and deaths. A boat doesn’t have to sink, and you don’t have to be thrown from a boat to be injured. Many studies indicate that most people injured in boating accidents are injured when they are on the boat-not thrown off of it.

No License Needed

Despite the dangers, you may be surprised to learn that there is no such thing as a license to boat or operate a watercraft, the way that there is to operate a motor vehicle. Boaters will only need to take a course on boating before getting into the water, and that’s only if the boater was born after 1987. The course requirement only applies to using boats on open, public waters—for someone to operate a boat on a private lake or private waterway, no course is needed at all.

Common Sense Safety

Clearly the best rule for boating safety is to make sure whoever is operating the boat, is qualified to do so. Boats don’t steer, accelerate, or operate the way cars do. Using a boat can be a foreign experience for people.

For example, as speed decreases, the ability to make quick maneuvers or to control the boat, also decreases. That means that for the most control, the boat should be going faster—but the faster the boat goes, the less time there is to react, and the high likelihood there is that any accident will be more serious.

Additionally, current and wind direction can affect steering and maneuverability—factors that aren’t present when driving a car.

Having life vests on your vessel is a requirement for all passengers. But vests aren’t the only safety precaution that should be used. Remote shutoff switches, to cut off engines in the event someone goes overboard, should also be used.

Clearly, anytime someone is in the water near the boat, the engine should be off. If the boat needs to get someone out of the water, the boat should never reverse—rather, it should go forward, creating some distance, and then turn around, so that the engine or propellers are not near anybody in the water.

If you are injured in a boating accident, you have the same right to sue as you would in a car. Boaters can be held negligent, and are responsible for compensating victims of boating accidents.

Were you injured on the water, or in a boating accident? Schedule a consultation today with the Tampa personal injury lawyers at Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian.

Resource:

myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/accidents/

Causes of Boating Accidents

The statistics are jarring. People go boating to have a good time. But in 2015 alone, there were over 4,000 boating accidents in this country, resulting in nearly 3,000 injuries and over 600 fatalities.

Research indicates that speed is one of the top five causes of boating accidents, along with machinery failure, operator inexperience, operator inattention, and improper lookout. Whatever the cause, if you are involved in a boating accident, a good personal injury lawyer at your side could be the ticket to a successful legal outcome.

Accidents Don’t Necessarily Mean Collisions

Trouble on the water comes in many forms:

• Running out of gas: Although it seems like an innocuous problem, when you consider that boaters can end up out of range and out of gas at the same time, you realize that this can be a serious situation. No one wants to be stranded at sea with a vessel that is out of commission simply because you didn’t fuel up.
• Grounding your boat: Driving your boat aground can be dangerous if you are driving fast. The impact of the sudden stop is bound to result in injuries.
• Falling overboard: Besides being embarrassing, this can be dangerous if you are not wearing a life jacket. Even an experienced boater runs the risk of hitting a head on the side of the boat on the way out.
• Sinking: If there’s a hole in the boat, you’ve got problems. If the bilge pump is not working properly, or through-hulls are damaged, you may end up taking on more water than you can handle.
• Fire: Although uncommon, boat fires are frightening and dangerous. If the bilge presents a fume scent, you have a potential problem. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher on the boat at all times.
• Breaking Down: Mechanical failure can result in real problems on the water. If the battery goes out, so do the lights, causing a serious hazard at night.
• Speeding in Low Visibility: Just like on the road, drivers should consider the conditions as they trek across the water.
• Inadequate Safety Gear: When boats leave shore without the proper number and sizes of life vests, or lacking proper flares, horns, and running lights, it puts everyone at risk.
• Weather: Boaters who fail to check the forecast are eventually going to hit treacherous weather. And a storm at sea is much more dangerous than one at home.
• No Lookout: Boating collisions frequently come down to improper lookout. It is a responsibility that simply must be taken seriously.
  

When a Boating Outing Results in Injury

Hopefully your boating excursions will result in nothing more serious than a little sunburn. But if and when more serious injuries occur, the experienced team at Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian will ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Contact our Tampa office today for your confidential consultation.

Resources:

usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/09/25/jose-fernandez-killed-boating-accident-marlins/91076824/

americanboating.org/boating_fatality.asp

d6.boatingmag.com/boatingsafety/tips/safety-tip/11-top-causes-boating-accidents

Taking to the water has risks

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that there are nearly 12 million boats registered in the fifty states. When used in a careful and responsible way, these boats can provide a unique and memorable setting for any number of recreational activities, or for merely escaping terra firma for a short while. Boats can turn an otherwise uneventful day into something that feels like it belongs in a Jimmy Buffet song.

But boats can also turn deadly, as well. Anything that involves speed, user inattention or recklessness, and alcohol has the potential for catastrophe. A well-known 1993 boating accident in Florida, which claimed the lives of two pitchers for the Cleveland Indians on an off-day in spring training, indicates how a variety of forces can come together and produce a shattering result.

The numbers alone are shocking. The Coast Guard counted more than 4,000 boating accidents in 2015, resulting in more than 600 deaths and 2,600 injuries. And those figures are likely inflated by other accidents that are not reported to any authorities.

Many factors can be involved

Boating fatalities begin climbing each year in April, and they remain high through the end of October. July was the deadliest month in terms of boating accidents in 2015, and this is likely true for most other years, as well. The Fourth of July holiday is almost certainly the cause, as people take their revelry offshore and out onto the open waters.

As you might expect, the combination of boating and alcohol can be a deadly one. Piloting a boat is not easy under the best of conditions, and when an operator has impaired judgment, the task can quickly become unmanageable. It is imperative for anyone getting on a boat to first know who is at the helm, and whether or not they could become intoxicated along the way. The best solution, if you should have any doubts, is to keep yourself on dry land.

But there are other examples that are even more prevalent when it comes to boating accidents and injuries. Operator inattention and inexperience contributed more than 25% of all boating accidents in 2015, with improper lookout and excessive speed also listed as significant causes. In all, 56% of boating accidents reported in 2015 were the result of how the boat was being operated.

Accidents and injuries are down

People looking for positive news will be glad to learn that the number of accidents has fallen significantly in recent years. In 1997, there were over 8,000 boating accidents, and that number has fallen by nearly 50% in the years since then. Injuries have also fallen, from about 4,500 yearly in the late 1990s to 2,613 last year. Unfortunately, the number of deaths from boating accidents has remained relatively flat since that time.

As might be expected, given the year-round boating opportunities that exist in Florida, the Sunshine State is far and away the leading state for boat fatalities, with nearly twice as many boating fatalities as California, and more than 100 times as many as Vermont. It can correctly be said that boating accidents, injuries, and fatalities all come with the territory in Florida’s waters.

Receiving treatment and compensation

Boating accidents can be a painful and life-altering experience.  An experienced lawyer can assist you with identifying the responsible party, and determining the amount and type of liability insurance available to pay for medical damages and other losses.  At Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian in Tampa, our experienced personal injury lawyers are available to help.  Call toll-free at 1 (800) 227-2275 for a consultation today.