How to Find the Owner of a Boat After a Crash in Florida
Boat accidents might cause devastating and life-altering injuries to victims in Florida. If a boat operator leaves the accident scene, how can the victim hope to find them?
If you need to find a boat owner after an accident in Florida, our lawyers can help. First, if you know the boat’s name, we can use that information to look up its registration. Our lawyers can also interview eyewitnesses in case they know who the boat operator is. We can also review footage from onboard surveillance systems if the accident was filmed, which might lead to the negligent operator’s identity. Calling law enforcement can also help since leaving the scene of a serious crash is against the law. After we find the boat owner, we can help you file an injury claim against them within two years of the accident in Florida.
For a free case discussion with our Florida boat accident attorneys, call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. now at (305) 204-5369.
Finding a Boat Owner Who Left a Crash Site in Florida
Suppose another recreational boater in Florida crashes into your vessel and leaves the scene. In that case, our lawyers can help you identify the boat owner so that we can eventually bring a claim against them.
Look Up the Boat’s Name
First, if you know the boat’s name, which is often printed on a vessel’s side, our lawyers can give that information to the U.S. Coast Guard. To get the managing owner’s name, we might have to fill out a specific form to request that information.
If the boat is registered in Florida, we can likely determine who the boat owner is through a thorough investigation into the accident, even if they left the scene.
Talk to Eyewitnesses
If you do not know the boat’s name, what do you remember? Tell our lawyers what the vessel and boat operator looked like if you saw them. In addition to reviewing the accident with you, our lawyers can also interview eyewitnesses in case they saw anything that could help us identify the negligent boat operator or owner. Victims can try to talk to eyewitnesses at the scene. If you’re too seriously injured to talk to witnesses, our lawyers can locate them by other means in the future.
Review Surveillance Footage
If your vessel has a security system, our Florida maritime accident attorneys can review the footage to see if there is a video of the accident or anything that could help us identify the boat operator who fled the scene.
If other boat operators in the area stopped to help you after the accident, ask them if they have onboard surveillance systems. If they do, our lawyers can look at the footage in case those nearby vessels happened to capture the accident on tape.
How Reporting an Accident Can Help You Find a Negligent Boat Owner in Florida
If you don’t know who caused your boating accident injuries in Florida and need to figure out their identity, reporting the accident to local law enforcement agencies can help.
According to Fla. Stat. § 327.30(2), involved parties must report certain boating accidents to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Division of Law Enforcement. Victims can also call local police to document the accident and complete an incident report. Reportable accidents include those that involve capsizing, collision with another vessel or object, personal injury, sinking, death, disappearance, or property damage of $2,000 or more.
Leaving the scene of a boat accident that causes physical injury is against the law. Because of this, police officers might investigate the accident further to determine who the at-fault party is. While a police investigation will be separate from your civil claim, it might help us locate and identify the defendant in your lawsuit.
If you do not report the accident, all the physical evidence left at the scene could be lost, as officers will not process it. Furthermore, because reporting boat accidents is required by law, failure to do so might hurt your case, even if we eventually find the negligent boat owner.
What Happens After You Find a Negligent Boat Owner in Florida?
Once we identify and locate the at-fault party, we can hold them accountable for your damages by filing a lawsuit against them in Florida.
According to Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4), victims of recreational boating accidents in Florida typically have two years to bring lawsuits. In light of this, filing quickly is important. Victims who do not know a negligent party’s identity might struggle to file on time without assistance.
It is important to note that the boat owner is not always the boat operator who caused the accident. Suppose our investigation uncovers that someone other than the owner was operating the boat during the accident. In that case, both parties, the owner and the operator, might share some level of liability for your damages.
While looking for the boat operator, we can prepare other aspects of your case, such as proof of your damages. Tracking your losses due to injury immediately is crucial, as proof of your damages is necessary to get compensation. We’ll track all losses, including your lost wages and medical expenses.
After identifying the negligent boat operator, we can name them as the defendant in your lawsuit. In your initial complaint filed with the court, our lawyers will outline the accident’s circumstances, the defendant’s actions, and your desired compensation.
Settlement negotiations might follow. During these discussions, our lawyers will keep our tally of your losses in mind and reject unfair offers from the defendant. If necessary, we can take your case to court for a jury to hear and decide the defendant’s fault.
Call Our Florida Lawyers About Your Recent Boat Accident
Call the Ft. Lauderdale boat accident attorneys of Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. at (305) 204-5369 for a free case review.
