Dealing With A Jet Ski Accident Injury In Florida
In January of this year, a woman was hospitalized for a head injury sustained from a jet ski accident in Miami Beach, Florida. In 2015, two teenagers crashed their jet ski into a private dock, critically injuring them both. In June of that same year, a 17-year-old boy was pronounced dead after his jet ski collided with a 20-foot boat in Grand Lagoon.
According to information compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard, jet skis are involved in 30 percent of all boating accidents, and are responsible for more than 40 percent of all boating injuries. While many victims of a jet ski accident are eligible for compensation, compensation is not automatically rewarded.
When To File A Personal Injury Claim After A Jet Ski Accident
In order to be entitled to compensation for injuries sustained, negligence must have been involved. Negligence may include:
- Underage driving;
- Inexperienced operators;
- Speeding;
- Reckless driving;
- Drug and alcohol use;
- Jet ski design;
- Manufacturer defects;
- Lack of safety warnings; and
- Driver distractions.
If you have been involved in a jet ski accident, and if you believe that negligence is the cause, you may have a personal injury lawsuit on your hands. Negligence in the case of jet ski accidents is the failure to operate the watercraft with reasonable care – meaning, the jet ski operator committed one or more of the offenses listed above. Consult a personal injury lawyer about your jet ski accident today to see if you have a case, and if so, to receive just compensation.
Determining Responsibility
Determining who is responsible for a jet ski accident is a little more complicated than determining whether or not negligence was involved. There are several factors that the courts take into consideration, such as:
- Was the driver knowledgeable on how to operate the equipment?;
- Did their actions cause the accident?
- If the victim rented a jet ski, did they sign a waiver before going out on the water?
Determining responsibility for a jet ski or boating accident is a lot less cut and dry than determining the fault of a vehicular accident, as jet skiing is an activity that carries an “assumption of risk,” meaning, jet skiers enter the activity with the knowledge that injury is a likely possibility.
When To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer
Because Florida is a beach state, there are a high number of boating and jet ski accidents that occur every year. While the state has buckled down on its boating laws in recent years, accidents on the water still occur at an alarming rate. Furthermore, because of the design and size of jet skis, victims of jet ski accidents are prone to more serious injuries than victims of larger watercraft accidents. Consequently, victims of jet ski accidents may be entitled to larger settlements in order to cover their extensive medical bills.
If you have been involved in a jet ski accident and have sustained serious injuries, our personal injury lawyers at The Pendas Law Firm are here to help. To receive the coverage you need to get back to living a whole and healthy life, contact our law offices at 1-844-200-0000, or online today. Our personal injury lawyers deal with claims throughout Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
