Hallandale Beach Boating Accident Lawyer
Boating accidents can turn an enjoyable day out on the water into a nightmare, and our attorneys can help injured victims recover the damages they seek against negligent parties.
In Florida, reportable boating accidents include any that cause disappearance, injury, death, or over $2,000 in property damage. Many boating accidents are reportable under this definition for one reason or another, and victims can satisfy reporting requirements by calling the police and alerting first responders. After reporting the incident, go to the hospital for the urgent medical attention you need. Make your physical recovery your top priority, and attend all scheduled doctor visits as our lawyers organize your medical records and damages. Based on your injuries and expert testimony, our lawyers can show that you will need additional treatments after your lawsuit ends, leading to compensation for future medical damages you have not incurred yet.
Call (305) 204-5369 to have the boating accident lawyers of Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. review your case for free.
Types of Boating Accidents to Report in Hallandale Beach
Regardless of what happens to cause a boating accident, it must be reported if it causes death, injury, disappearance, or more than $2,000 in damage to property, according to Fla. Stat. § 327.301(1). Accidents may be reported to the Division of Law Enforcement of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or local police departments.
Many accidents are reportable, including onboard fires, falls overboard, slip and falls on decks, and collisions with other vessels, personal watercraft, or swimmers nearby. Operators should report boats that capsize, as search and rescue efforts to locate passengers who have fallen overboard could be necessary.
If possible, victims may report accidents and alert law enforcement to the situation using onboard radio systems or their cell phones. When first responders arrive to help victims, they can also speak to involved parties to gain a clearer idea of what happened and write an accident report. In this report, officers may note the accident’s primary and contributory causes, whether the operator was under the influence of alcohol, and if anyone sustained injuries. Our lawyers can help victims obtain boating accident reports from investigating agencies soon after incidents and review them for information that could benefit their claims.
Boat operators or owners might try to deter victims from reporting certain accidents, such as slip and falls, to avoid liability. However, if you are at all injured from any type of incident, whether or not it involves another vessel, you should call first responders so that you can properly document the accident and your injuries.
In addition to speaking with the boat operator and other involved parties, law enforcement officers might also talk to eyewitnesses and record their contact information in reports. Eyewitness statements are some of the most compelling evidence in boating accident lawsuits, as not much physical evidence might exist, making interviewing eyewitnesses immediately paramount.
Medical Treatment for Boating Accident Injuries in Hallandale Beach
The first place victims should go after boating accidents is the nearest hospital. In addition to going to the emergency room, victims should return to the hospital for any necessary and subsequent treatments, as doing so will result in reliable and thorough medical records our lawyers can use to prove their damages, including future medical damages.
Immediate Treatment
Boating accidents might cause various injuries, including fractures, concussions, anoxic brain injuries, and lacerations. Victims might need urgent care from emergency medical professionals to sterilize wounds or stabilize their injuries to prevent them from worsening. Victims should go to the hospital immediately, leading to medical records confirming their condition right after the accident. This can help establish that you were injured because of the boating accident caused by the defendant, making them liable for your medical damages and other losses. Do not delay going to the hospital for any reason, even if you feel okay. The trauma of experiencing a chaotic event might cause stress or adrenaline that makes victims ignore their injuries, so it is always best to get checked by medical professionals.
Ongoing Treatment
After being discharged from the hospital, victims might have to return for subsequent surgeries or evaluations. Not only do you need medical records confirming your injuries on the date of the accident, but you also need records confirming you sought ongoing treatment to recover physically. If you do not follow doctors’ orders or frequently miss scheduled visits with physicians, your medical records will reflect that, which could cause issues with your case.
As you get this ongoing treatment, our boating accident lawyers can help you request records from hospitals and providers. We can organize these records and the bills from your treatment to accurately track your medical damages. Presenting these records of your ongoing care can also support our compensation requests for your lost wages. Suppose medical evidence and expert statements confirm your injuries prevent you from returning to work at the same earning capacity. In that case, we can argue you deserve compensation for missed income because of the accident.
Future Treatment
You may need care after your lawsuit ends, and our lawyers can consider the cost of such future treatments when calculating your deserved compensation. We can confer with your treating physicians and medical experts, who can testify about upcoming surgeries or therapies and any prescription medications you will need to take for the foreseeable future. Medical damages not yet incurred are compensable in boating accident claims, and our lawyers can use expert statements and your medical records to back up our requests. Suppose you need compensation for future medical damages. In that case, you might also need compensation for future lost wages, and our attorneys can explain our anticipated timeline of when you might be able to return to work based on testimony from medical experts and your workplace responsibilities.
Call Our Lawyers in Hallandale Beach About Your Recent Accident
Call (305) 204-5369 and discuss your case for free with the boating accident lawyers of Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today.
