With its famous waterways, including the expansive Tampa Bay, Tampa is a fantastic location for those looking to enjoy time on a boat. Unfortunately, even boating can be a dangerous activity, and those that love to enjoy time out on the water are not immune from catastrophic accidents and devastating injuries that can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and financial hardships that can forever change their life.
That is why if you or a loved one sustained severe injuries in a Tampa boating accident due to another person’s wrongful actions, contact an experienced Tampa boating accident attorney from Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, as soon as possible. Our lawyers can protect your legal rights and fight for the financial damages you deserve.
About Our Law Firm
At Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, our dedicated lawyers can not only provide clients with the personal attention of a small firm, but because of our financial means, we can also take on more challenging cases.
Our accident injury law firm provides quality representation to all our clients, the legal support they require, and the resources to fight for the maximum financial damages they deserve. That is why it should not be a surprise that since our founding, we have helped countless accident victims and secured millions of dollars on their behalf through settlements and jury trial verdicts.
If you suffered harm in a Tampa boating accident, contact our firm today for a free case consultation. Our legal team can discuss your case over the phone or meet with you at one of our many locations, including our Lutz office, which is only 20 minutes from Tampa and located at the corner of Sunlake Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway. While we guarantee no results, contact us today to see what we can do for you.
The Causes Behind a Tampa Boating Accident
Boating accidents can occur for many reasons, including lack of experience, improper training, and even reckless boating.
However, according to the United States Coast Guard, some of the top contributing factors to boating accidents include:
- Operator inattention
- Operator inexperience
- Improper lookout
- Machinery failure
- Speeding
- Operating the boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Force of the wave or wake
- Weather
- Hazardous water
- A violation of navigation laws
These causes have resulted in:
- Drowning accidents which can occur when a passenger falls from the boat
- Run-over crashes where an individual in the water gets run over by a boat
- Slip and fall accidents on the boat
- Propeller accidents
However, this list is not exhaustive of all the causes and types of boating accidents that can occur. For these reasons, if you believe you have a valid claim following a boating accident, reach out to a Tampa boating accident attorney at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm as soon as you can. Our legal team can review the facts of your accident, determine if you have a viable legal case, and help you figure out what legal actions you should take next.
Common Injuries Resulting From a Tampa Boating Accident
Injuries following a boating accident often depend on the circumstances of the accident. However, due to the unique nature of a boating accident, certain types of injuries are more common than others.
They include:
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Head trauma and brain injuries
- Internal injuries and bleeding
- Back injuries
- Sprains and strains
- Burns
- Mouth injuries, including teeth injuries
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord trauma
- Hypothermia
- Lost limbs
- Shock
- Death
However, even the more minor injuries can have long-lasting effects—especially financially, as the medical care required can lead to astronomical medical bills. That is why, following a Tampa boating accident, consider contacting a Tampa boating accident lawyer as soon as possible. These legal professionals can help determine not only the extent of your losses but help you pursue maximum compensation for the losses and injuries you experienced.
Recoverable Damages Following a Tampa Boating Accident
Following a Tampa boating accident, there may be various recoverable damages you can pursue. These damages are usually broken down into the following categories:
Economic Damages
These damages refer to payment for losses after an accident with an established monetary value.
They can include losses related to:
- Medical bills from doctor visits, hospital stays, medications, therapy, mobility aides, surgeries, home modifications, and other types of medical treatments
- Lost wages, missed promotions, and lost earning capacity
- Property damages
Non-Economic Damages
These damages refer to payment for the emotional or intangible losses that result from an accident, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Humiliation
Additionally, if you lost a loved one in a boating accident, you may also be able to pursue compensation for funeral and burial expenses. However, if you want to know which monetary damages you may be entitled to following a Tampa boating accident, work with the boating accident lawyers at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm. Our attorneys can figure out which of these damages may apply to your case and help you seek financial compensation for everything you had to endure because of your boating accident.
Time Limitations to File a Lawsuit After a Tampa Boating Accident
Typically, if you suffered harm on waters governed by Florida laws, you will only have four years from the date of the incident to pursue a lawsuit. However, these time limitations to file a lawsuit will also depend on several other factors, including the circumstances of the accident, the location of the boating accident (incidents in international waters can move the jurisdiction to federal courts under admiralty or maritime law), the type of laws that apply, and whether any exceptions apply to the statute of limitations.
As a result, if you do not want to miss your time to file a lawsuit following your Tampa boating accident, contact our Tampa boating accident lawyers as soon as possible. Our lawyers can help you figure out how much time you have to file your legal case and help ensure that your legal motions are submitted before these deadlines pass.
Determining Liability After a Tampa Boating Accident
If you endured harm in a Tampa boating accident, it is important to figure out who was responsible for the boating accident to help ensure you can go after the maximum damages you deserve. Unfortunately, depending on the circumstances of the accident, figuring out liability may not be as obvious as many may assume it will be.
In fact, sometimes, proving fault after a boating accident can be incredibly challenging, especially since water can destroy evidence, and it is much harder to reconstruct the accident on the water. However, contacting a seasoned Tampa boating accident lawyer as soon as possible after the accident can help with these issues. These lawyers can ensure they thoroughly assess the situation, figure out who was at fault for the accident, and help you hold these parties answerable for the harm they caused you.
However, in general, some of the more common parties that are usually held liable for a boating accident include:
- The boat owner
- The boat operator
- Passengers on the boat
- The boat’s manufacturer
- The rental company that rented out the boat
Taking Action After a Tampa Boating Accident
While taking action after a Tampa boating accident may not be a priority, it is important to understand the things you do following this accident, including immediately after the incident, as well as months down the line, can impact your legal claim.
Consequently, following a boating accident:
Get Emergency Help
Your priority after a boating accident needs to be your safety and your passenger’s safety. If you suspect any injuries, you have to call the authorities right away. As you wait for these professionals, account for everyone is and stop the boat.
After law enforcement and medical personnel arrive, these officials can provide you with the medical help you need and document the findings of their investigation in their police report. If you pursue legal action after this accident, this report can help your attorney prepare a solid legal case for you.
Document the Incident
It can help your legal claim if you can gather evidence following the boating accident.
This includes:
- Taking pictures of the scene, the current conditions of the boat, and any other aspects of the accident that can show what happened
- Getting contact information from witnesses who saw what happened. These individuals can often provide testimony that can help collaborate your claim
- Get personal information, including contact details, insurance information, and a boat registration number from the other people involved in the accident
However, as you talk to these individuals after the boating accident, watch the comments you make. This means avoiding making definitive statements, apologizing for the incident, or taking any blame. These comments can be used against you to hurt your case and impact the amount of money you can receive.
Get Checked Over by a Doctor
Even if your injuries do not appear serious, seeking immediate medical attention following a boating accident is a good idea. These doctors can examine you and accurately determine the seriousness of your trauma and whether you need further medical care. Plus, receiving this treatment can prevent the insurer from reducing your claim for a failure to get medical treatment or arguing that your injuries are not as severe as you claim.
Watch What You Say to the Insurance Companies
Following a boating accident, it is possible to say too much to the insurance company. Although you may want to believe that these companies are there to help you secure the money you need after an accident, in truth, that is not how these companies work. Like other businesses, insurance companies want to make a profit. They do this by paying out less on your claim.
As a result, after a boating collision, these insurance companies and their adjusters will try to find anything to use against you. For these reasons, before making any statements to these companies, consider first discussing your case with a knowledgeable Tampa boating accident attorney. These lawyers can help you understand the deceitful games these companies may try on you and take on these discussions on your behalf, ensuring you do not say something that can hurt your case.
Contact Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, Today and Get the Legal Help You Need
Following a Tampa boating accident, you should focus on recovering and getting better, not drafting legal motions or creating legal arguments to prove your case. That is why after a Tampa boating accident, let a Tampa boating accident attorney help you shoulder this burden and fight for the justice you deserve.
For instance, once you retain the Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, to take on your legal case, our Tampa boating accident attorneys can:
- Go over your questions and concerns
- Determine if you have a valid legal claim and the legal options you can pursue
- Investigate the boating accident and secure the evidence needed to show fault and damages
- Identify all the parties responsible for the boating accident and hold them accountable for your losses and injuries
- Obtain videos of the accident, recorded statements, and interview eyewitnesses regarding the accident
- Negotiate with the insurance companies and go after a fair settlement offer
- Bring in experts to validate your legal claim
- Take your case to trial if the other party is not willing to get you the money you need and fight for the total compensation you are entitled to
If you or a family member sustained severe injuries in a Tampa boating accident, contact our Tampa personal injury attorneys at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, today at (813) 868-1887 for your free case evaluation and find out how our legal team can get you the compensation you need.
Client Testimonial
"James Holliday handled a case for my husband and I. He explained everything and spent a lot of time with us. He was professional, courteous, and very efficient I trusted him and he came through for us. We are very happy with the outcome, I would recommend him to anyone and have already referred my close friends to him. Thank you Attorney Holliday for all that you did."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Joan H.
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