Boating Accidents

The father of one of two teens who died in a boating crash last February in Clay County has pled no contest to a charge of reckless boating. The man also pled guilty to an unrelated charge of DUI and could receive a year in jail when he is sentenced at the end of the month.

The man was operating the boat when it sped up and crashed into a low-lying tree branch on Black Creek. The son, a 17-year-old boy and his 15-year-old female friend were sitting on the front of the boat and died from catastrophic head, neck, and chest injuries. The father had gone to the back of the boat and was more than six feet from the controls as he checked the engine and fuel pump.

The father has since turned to alcohol and in June was arrested for drinking and driving, a misdemeanor. He had made his living as a boat mechanic but tells Channel 4 he has not been able to get near water since the accident that took his son’s life and the life of his son’s friend.

Our condolences go out to everyone involved following this tragedy. Members of both families showed up at Tuesday’s court hearing on August 2 to lend their support to the father who they feel has suffered enough. “He’s never going to get over this,” said one.

In such cases, a boating accident lawyer in Florida would always want to conduct its own investigation into a crash on the water to determine what the engine, steering mechanism, throttle, and damage to the vessel reveals. Farah & Farah has represented dozens of boat accident victims successfully to obtain compensation for their injuries and related losses.

Source: http://www.news4jax.com/news/28743283/detail.html

A boat operator from Deltona, who was behind the wheel of one of two boats involved in a Memorial Day crash in Volusia County, could be charged with three counts of careless operation for the accident that led to the death of three people, including an unborn child, reports The Orlando Sentinel.

An investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found the boat operator violated navigation rules regarding speed, proper lookout, and overtaking. Charges are forthcoming in the boating accident case that saw the 25-foot 1989 Chaparral run over the top of an 18-foot Sundance in New Smyrna Beach. Everyone on the two boats was related or friends. A 19-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed. They were riding in the smaller boat along with her 46-year-old father, who was also killed. All were from Deland. The FFWCC found the smaller boat was in front of the larger boat which suddenly accelerated when the operator was distracted by a passing sport boat. The smaller boat operator was aware of a pregnant woman on board and was following the speed limit.

Maritime or admiralty law is a specialized area of the law that can be complex and requires knowledge of state, federal, and international laws. The Florida boating accident attorneys at Farah and Farah have the resources as well as the experienced to help you achieve a dramatic difference in the outcome of any financial claim following an injury on the water or at sea.

A father and his four-year-old son are recovering in a hospital after a boat with four people onboard crashed into a dock. It happened in Pottsburg Creek in Jacksonville. Four people were onboard the fishing boat when it struck the dock in the 500 block of Bayridge Road. The man and his son are at Shands Jacksonville Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police say they will need facial surgery and that two others on the boat were not injured. We hope and pray for the speedy recovery of a father and his son.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which investigates accidents on the water, says that the father, realizing it was too dark, tried to turn back to the boat ramp. In the dark, nothing looked familiar and the river took a bend at that point. That is where the dock was located, says the FFWCC officer at the scene.

Fortunately it was not traveling at a fast rate of speed, about 20 mph, so nobody was ejected. The little boy was the only one wearing a life jacket, which is required by Florida law.

Florida Boating Laws
Florida law requires there to be a floatation device for every person as part of the required equipment on the water. That’s because even an adult can lose consciousness and a life jacket is the only thing that will keep your head above water and increase your chance of survival. In this case, the boat went under the dock, which could have easily knocked someone out. Luckily, only the windshield was broken.

Florida law also requires anyone born after January 1, 1988 to carry a Boating Safety Education ID Card in order to legally operate a boat in Florida. That is because the state is the Top Ten state for fatalities. In 2007, there were 77 boating fatalities in Florida, which exceeds the next closes state, California at 48 fatalities, according to Fish and Wildlife. By 2008, that number had dropped to 54.

A collision with a fixed object is the fourth leading cause of boating accident after falling overboard, capsizing, and collision with a vessel. When you look at the stats with the state, the primary cause of death onboard a boat is drowning (70 %), followed by trauma (30%). Overwhelmingly, males (96%) are the operators. If you have been injured in a boating accident, please contact a Jacksonville boat accident attorney who can help you with answers you need to get your life back in order.

Sources:http://www.news4jax.com/news/22357973/detail.html;http://www.myfwc.com/docs/Safety/2008_Boating_Statbook_fatality.pdf

Florida coastal accident attorneys and maritime law lawyers Farah & Farah, P.A., are pleased to introduce you to a pair of brand new websites—CoastalAccidents.com and Florida-MaritimeAdmiralty.com. CoastalAccidents.com is a free online resource that brings news and information that matters to those injured in coastal boating accidents. Florida-MaritimeAdmiralty.com is concerned with maritime law, including Jones Act claims and accidents involving cruise ships.

The open waters of the sea promise freedom to millions of pleasure-seekers, but responsibility comes with that freedom. Florida-MaritimeAdmiralty.com and CoastalAccidents.com will present news of accidents and safety hazards in the coastal waters of Georgia and Florida, including the popular tourist spots of Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Jacksonville.

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A recent report has stated that on Tuesday, the Coast Guard stopped the official search for two NFL players and a third man missing for more than four days off the west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. The men went on a fishing trip from Clearwater Pass when winds increased later in the day. Apparently, their boat overturned Saturday in forceful seas of 7-15 foot waves. A fourth man, former South Florida player, Nick Schuyler, was found holding on to the boat’s hull and rescued on Monday.

Schuyler’s doctor says it is a “miracle” that he survived the Florida coast boating accident after spending almost two days in 63-degree water.

Friends and family have gathered private boats and planes to search the waters off the Florida coast, refusing to give up the search for NFL players Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith and former South Florida player William Bleakley. Cooper’s 21-foot boat was found by authorities 50 miles west of Sarasota.

Tank Johnson, a childhood friend and college teammate of Cooper’s, has taken a lead role in the new search.
“I truly believe he is out there somewhere being strong,” Johnson said.

Our hearts go out to the missing men and their families during this extremely difficult time. We admire the strength of Schuyler’s brave survival and hope his recovery goes smoothly.

Although we never expect that anyone we know will be injured or even killed in an incident such as this one, boating accidents in Florida and throughout the nation cause nearly 3,500 injuries and 700 deaths each year. In this case, we hope along with Johnson, that if the men are not found alive, that their remains are recovered so that families can experience closure.

If you have any questions regarding boating accidents or Maritime and Admiralty Law, please contact the skilled Florida boating accident attorneys at Farah and Farah by calling 1-800-533-3555.

Passengers traveling on one cruise line have a refund coming thanks to Florida’s Attorney General.

Bill McCollum filed a lawsuit this week against Imperial Majesty Cruise Line. The company is alleged to have added a fuel surcharge of $20 to $30 secretly onto customers’ bills. Most people thought these were government fees.

Many customers complained to the AG office alerting him to the practice. Customers said they had no idea they would be asked to fork over extra money until their arrived for their cruise.

The extra charge amounted to about $4 million over the past two years. McCollum announced the lawsuit at a news conference Wednesday. He is asking for a refund of about $4 million and for the advertising practices hiding the charges to be reversed. Read the rest »

The Florida-Georgia game weekend started on a dangerous note for four fans aboard a boat that exploded in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Two people were reportedly thrown from the boat when it exploded while two others stayed onboard. The boat never made it back to the marina, instead it burned into a crisp.

The explosion occurred as the boat was refueling near the Palm Cover Marina on Beach Boulevard. Fortunately, a good citizen pulled the folks from the burning wreck. The burns are said to be serious for the folks hospitalized.

Everyone was in town for the Saturday Florida-Georgia game, though at this time they are not identified.

The Coast Guard has no idea what happened. Still, they sent out a warning asking boaters to use extra caution.

A boat can explode if there is a mechanical problem or if fuel is put into the wrong hole. In this case, it was, then flushed out with water.

Jet skis are very dangerous.

An 18 year old teenage woman is in critical condition at Shands-Jacksonville and her 19-year-old male companion was killed early Saturday after their personal watercraft collided with a boat on Durbin Creek.

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