South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
Boating is one of the more popular activities in South Florida. In some cases, this includes going out in the bay or offshore from areas like Fort Lauderdale, but it can also involve taking a boat out of Lake Okeechobee in the Greater Orlando area. While this can involve a lot of fun, there are also serious boating accidents that occur each year which can result in serious personal injury or death. Some of these accidents can lead to the need to file a claim or personal injury lawsuit.
According to a recent news article from TC Palm, a major fishing tournament was canceled after the first day when two boaters went missing while participating in the tournament. Authorities including those from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, have said one team consisting of two men who had traveled to the state to participate in the tournament were reported missing the night following the first day of this tournament on the lake. Following each day of the tournament, competitors were supposed to meet at a station to weigh their daily catch and rank them according to how successful they were. The missing boaters were not present at the weigh-in and others became concerned. When they did not turn up later that night, a search was undertaken to locate the missing boaters. One of the two men was found with the team fishing boat on a remote shore of the massive lake, but his fishing partner has not been located as of the time of this article. While the investigation and the search efforts continued, authorities have not released any information pertaining to what caused them to wreck.
As our Orlando boating accident lawyers can explain, accidents typically involve people being injured or killed on boats they do not personally own. In some cases, the plaintiff is on a boat owned by a friend. These boat owners typically have insurance, so it will likely be necessary to file a claim with the boat owner’s insurance company. However, even though the friend had invited the plaintiff on his or her boat, the insurance company is not part of that friendship and may offer to settle the case for much lower than the actual damages involved. This can include damages for pain and suffering, lost wages for time away from work, medical bills, and the cost of future rehabilitation needs including physical or occupational therapy.
When this occurs, your experienced South Florida boating accident attorney will have to fight for a real settlement offer, or take the case to court if necessary. This is not an ideal situation where a friend will be the defendant, but it is not a personal fight against the friend, but rather a fight against an insurance company that is likely much more interested in making money than making sure a victim is properly compensated for the damages sustained in a South Florida boating accident.
Call Freeman Injury Law — 1-800-561-7777 for a free appointment to discuss your rights. Now serving Orlando, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie and Fort Lauderdale.
Additional Resources:
Lake O tournament canceled as search continues for missing fisherman Nik Kayler, January 6, 2018, By Tess Sheets, TC Palm
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Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down Medical Malpractice Damages Cap, June 30, 2017, Orlando Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog