Experienced Florida accident attorneys have track record of success
Florida’s beautiful waterways are a prime attraction for both residents and visitors to the Sunshine State. Unfortunately, boating accidents are far too frequent on Florida’s waters, often resulting in injury and in some cases fatality. The experienced Florida accident attorneys at Ged Lawyers, LLP have a track record of success in recovering compensation for those injured in boating accidents.
Common causes of boating accidents
While the circumstances surrounding a boating accident vary, some common causes of boating accidents include:
- Speeding
- Reckless behavior
- Failure to obey traffic laws
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI)
- Operating a defective or damaged vessel
- Boating in unsafe weather conditions
- Operator inexperience
Personal injury law covers accidents that are due to negligence
Personal injury law covers a wide range of accidents ‘ car accidents, slip and fall accidents, boating accidents, and more. While personal injury law protects those who have suffered injury in accidents, the key component to a personal injury claim is that the accident was caused by another person or entity’s negligent act. Without legal negligence, there are no grounds for a personal injury claim.
What is the Jones Act?
The Jones Act permits an injured seaman to sue an employer for negligence. Under the Jones Act, the standard of proof with regard to negligence is much lower than the standard in a personal injury claim. The seaman must prove that the captain, crew, or owner of a vessel was negligent and that this negligence was a cause of the seaman’s injury. Generally speaking, a seaman is someone who performs a significant amount of their work on a vessel. For those seamen who work in a part-time capacity, they must spend a minimum of 30% of their time working on a vessel in order to qualify under the Jones Act.
What type of compensation can I receive for my boating accident?
Both the Jones Act and personal injury law provide compensation for the victim’s injuries and other damages. These are known as compensatory damages, which are designed to reimburse the person who was harmed and return them to the state that they were prior to the accident. The injured victim may receive compensation for the following:
- medical bills
- pain and suffering
- lost income
- lost earned sick and vacation time
- mental anguish
- loss of companionship or consortium
Compensatory damages such as medical expenses and lost income have a monetary value that is easy to assign. The value of immeasurable damages, such as pain and suffering and mental anguish, are more challenging and those values are estimated by the courts.
At Ged Lawyers, LLP, we get results
Suffering an injury in a boating accident can be traumatic and debilitating. At Ged Lawyers, LLP, we are dedicated to fighting on behalf of our clients to recover the compensation they deserve for their injuries and suffering. To schedule a complimentary case review to discuss your boating accident, contact our office at 844-443-3529 or online. The attorneys at Ged Lawyers, LLP, represent a diverse clientele, with multilingual services available in Arabic, Creole, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and other languages.
