The Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a marine life rehabilitation center in Clearwater, Florida. It is known for rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured marine animals. The aquarium offers a unique experience where visitors can observe marine animals such as dolphins, sea turtles, otters, and other animals.
It also provides educational presentations, interactive exhibits, and animal care experiences such as visits to sea turtle hospitals. The popular Hollywood movie Dolphin Tale was filmed at the aquarium, skyrocketing attendance to nearly 800,000 visitors a year in 2011. Although attendance has fallen since then, the aquarium still does a brisk business.
One of the downsides to this encouraging attendance figure is that a certain number of injuries occur at the aquarium every year. If you plan on visiting the aquarium, it’s a good idea to know in advance how to minimize its dangers.
Premises Liability
Premises liability is a legal doctrine that holds property owners and operators liable for injuries caused by dangerous conditions on their property. The property owner’s duty of care varies depending on the status of the injured party.
A property owner owes business customers, such as aquarium guests, the highest duty of care. They must either repair or warn of any known dangerous conditions. They must also inspect the property for any unknown dangerous conditions and either repair or warn of them.
Commonly Encountered Dangerous Conditions
Common examples of hazardous conditions that you might find at an aquarium include:
- Crowded parking lots filled with vehicles and pedestrians,
- Inadequate lighting in stairwells,
- Lack of proper safety barriers around tanks or pools,
- Objects falling from exhibits and displays,
- Poorly marked emergency exits,
- Uneven surfaces (loose floor tiles, etc.),
- Wet or slippery floors with no proper warning signs,
- Exposed electrical wiring near water features, and
- Inadequate ventilation in enclosed areas.
A full list of hazards would be virtually endless. All of them can potentially result in liability for the aquarium or a third party (such as a contractor).
How To Stay Safe at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
The following are some tips that, if followed, can reduce your risk of injury:
- Wear non-slip footwear
- Pay attention to signs, especially wet floor warnings
- Avoid running or rough play in public areas
- Use handrails when navigating stairs or ramps
- Do not enter the aquarium while intoxicated
- When walking in the parking lot, keep an eye on your surroundings and stay out of drivers' blind spots as much as you can
When in doubt, use common sense and act cautiously.
What To Do if You Get Hurt
What you do immediately after an accident can have an outsize impact on your claim. You should:
- Contact aquarium employees for first aid.
- Take photos of the scene of the accident, your injuries, and the hazard that caused your injuries.
- Report the accident to the aquarium, ask them to prepare an accident report, and request a copy of the report.
- Write down the sequence of events that led to the accident while you can still remember them clearly.
- Get contact information for any witnesses and any at-fault party.
- Seek prompt medical treatment for even minor injuries.
This evidence could be essential if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim. Florida law allows you to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other tangible and intangible losses.
Liability Waivers
If you signed a liability waiver, you might experience greater difficulty winning a lawsuit or even negotiating a settlement. Nevertheless, waivers are not absolute in Florida. They won’t protect the aquarium against gross negligence or intentional harm, for example. Courts often closely scrutinize vague waivers of liability.
The Statute of Limitations
If your accident took place on or after March 24, 2023, you typically have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. If your injury took place before that, you have four years. In case of wrongful death, the statute of limitations clock begins running on the date of the victim’s death.
Injured at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium? You Might Have a Personal Injury Claim
If you suffered an injury at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a third party or the aquarium itself might be liable for compensation. The irony is that you might not know whether you need a lawyer until you ask a lawyer.
Luckily, most personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations. In fact, under the contingency fee system that most personal injury lawyers use, you pay zero attorney’s fees unless you win your case.
If you have been injured at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, reach out to Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to learn how our premises liability lawyers can help.
Contact the Clearwater Premises Liability Law Firm of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a premises liability lawyer in Clearwater. We have convenient locations in Florida: St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - St. Petersburg Law Office
840 Beach Dr NE Suite 202
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Safety Harbor Law Office
202 9th Ave S Suite A-2
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 787-2500
