Tampa Boating Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a boating accident in Tampa, Florida, you could be entitled to receive compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Skilled and experienced Tampa boating accident lawyers at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers are ready to help you get the money you deserve.

Since 1996, our Board Certified trial lawyers have been fighting for Tampa boating accident victims like you – and we’ve millions on their behalves. Our lawyers handle all types of cases, including Tampa brain injuries, catastrophic injuries, cruise ship accidents, maritime accidents, wrongful death claims, and more.

Reach out to our Florida office today to speak with a member of our team about your case. Your first consultation is free so call now at (813) 686-7588

How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Boating Accident in Tampa, FL

Even if you are legally entitled to compensation for your boating accident injuries, insurance companies are notorious for making the claims process difficult. Our Tampa personal injury lawyers can make a difference in your case. We are ready to help you reach optimal physical and financial recovery. 

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, our Board Certified civil trial specialists have over 75 years of collective experience. Since 1996, we’ve obtained over $100 million in settlements and jury verdicts. We know our clients’ physical recovery often depends on the success of their injury claim – so we fight for every dime our clients deserve. 

When you hire us to be your legal team, we will:

  • Handle every aspect of your case so that you can get better. Whether filing claims with insurance companies or filing your personal injury case with the court on time, we will handle all of the details in your boating accident case. You take time to focus on getting back on your feet.
  • Thoroughly investigate the facts of your boating accident. We’ll work hard to determine why the boating accident occurred and identify the potentially at-fault parties. 
  • Work with leading experts in boating accidents, maritime matters, and medical treatment to build a strong case for you. 
  • Negotiate aggressively on your behalf for a fair settlement. If insurance adjusters refuse to extend a fair offer, we’ll vigorously represent your interests at trial.

Florida boating and jet skiing are known as some of the best across the country and around the world. You deserve to focus on full recovery so you can get back to the boating life you love. 

Let our accomplished personal injury lawyers in Tampa, Florida, work for you. Reach out to our office today (you can call or chat with us online) to set up a free consultation for your boating accident case. 

How Common Are Boating Accidents in Tampa, Florida?

It can be hard to know for sure how common boating accidents are in Tampa. Florida law requires the reporting of only certain kinds of boating accidents.

To be a “reportable boating accident,” at least one of the following criteria must be met:

  • A person dies
  • A person disappears under circumstances that indicate possible death or injury
  • A person receives injury or injuries requiring medical attention (other than immediate first aid)
  • There is at least $2,000 aggregate property damage to the vessel and/or other property, or
  • A vessel is a total loss.

In 2019, there were 723 reportable boating accidents in Florida. Within those reportable boating accidents were 65 fatalities and 453 people who were injured. 

What is My Tampa Boating Accident Injury Case Worth?

The facts and circumstances of your individual boating accident will drive the value of your settlement or judgment. Factors surrounding the boating accident can influence the value of your claim and whether a settlement can be reached.

How Do Injuries Impact the Value of a Personal Injury Claim?

What is My Tampa Boating Accident Injury Case Worth?

Injuries can influence the value of a personal injury claim in two ways: directly and indirectly. Either way, more severe injuries will increase the value of a personal injury claim. Since compensation in a personal injury case is designed to make an injured victim whole, more valuable cases are, sadly, the ones with severe injuries and losses.

Severe injuries can increase the value of a personal injury claim because they likely require intensive medical treatment. Specialists, surgeons, and ongoing care, as well as hospital stays, can quickly add up, directly increasing economic damages. Since severe injuries are likely to be more painful and long-term, they indirectly increase non-economic damages. 

Injuries sustained in boating accidents can be somewhat like injuries sustained in car accidents. From car accident case data, we know that “hard” injuries like broken bones tend to be more valuable than “soft” injuries, like whiplash. 

Ironically, whiplash is a type of spinal cord injury, which is one category of serious injury that can increase the value of a claim. For spinal cord injuries, direct medical expenses can be higher than, for example, minor burns. If a spinal cord injury is expected to be permanent or recovery time is lengthy, the injured person is likely to get a higher settlement or judgment in consideration of their pain and suffering. 

What Outside Factors Can Impact the Value of a Claim?

Insurance companies and influential people often want to resolve legal liability quickly and quietly. 

Some factors outside of your injury that can impact your claim include:

  • Publicity
  • Certainty of liability
  • Potential litigation costs

High-profile cases of drowning can lead to tragic wrongful death claims from surviving spouses and children. 

If an insurance company is fairly sure they are liable, they may not ever admit it, but they are more likely to settle for a higher amount. Similarly, if the case will be an expensive one to fight, the insurance company may choose to settle. A financially strong personal injury law firm like Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can give the insurance companies something to think about. 

What Kind of Damages Are Available to Boating Accident Victims?

What Kind of Damages Are Available to Boating Accident Victims?

Damages are a monetary remedy for injuries or losses. There are two types of damages commonly available in boating accident cases: economic and non-economic. 

Another type of damages, called punitive damages, are allowed in limited circumstances. Contact our personal injury attorneys today to learn more about when punitive damages can be recovered.

Economic damages are meant to make a person whole again for money they’ve spent and costs they’re likely to incur.

Economic Damages usually cover expenses such as:

  • Past medical bills and future medical expenses
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitative care
  • Lost wages 
  • Funeral and burial expenses, if a boating accident is fatal

These losses are easily countable and can be determined by medical records, pay stubs, tax returns, and other documents. 

Non-economic damages are more difficult to quantify. 

Non-Economic Damages are intended to make a person whole for losses that were not financial in nature, such as:

The law requires boating accident victims to prove their damages to recover compensation. Proving the value of your suffering and other intangible consequences of a boating accident can be challenging. 

For the strongest chance to recover full compensation for your boating accident injury, you need a skilled personal injury attorney to develop your case. Call Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers to get the experienced representation you deserve.

Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Being Blamed For My Boating Accident in Florida?

Florida follows a modified comparative fault system with a 51% bar to compensation. Under these rules of comparative fault, the total amount of damages an injury victim can recover might be reduced or eliminated if they bear responsibility for their injuries. 

What does this mean if you are being blamed for your boating accident? It means you may still be entitled to recover compensation as long as your share of blame is 50% or lower. Since blaming the victim is a common tactic used by insurance companies to lower the value of a claim, we fight to minimize our clients’ responsibility for their injuries. 

However, if you are found to be responsible, in part, for your injury, your total recovery will be reduced by the percentage of your fault. 

For example, if your damages total $100,000 and you were 45% at fault for your injury, your total award will be reduced by $45,000. If you were 51% or more at fault, you won’t receive an award.

Since fault allocation can lead to significant changes in recovery, you should never admit fault without first seeking the advice of a reputable personal injury attorney. 

We Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Boating Accident Injuries

Boating accidents can lead to a wide variety of injuries, from broken bones and bruises to brain injuries. We work with leading medical experts and boating accident reconstruction specialists to establish the cause of your injury and its seriousness. 

We will gather and maintain medical records to ensure full accounting for all of your injury expenses. Once we understand the significance of your injuries, we can help you set your expectations for a fair recovery amount. 

How Long Do I Have To File a Boating Accident Case in Florida?

In Florida, personal injury cases based on general negligence must be filed within two years from the date of the injury. After this deadline, called the statute of limitations, passes, a person may be unable to recover compensation for their injuries.

Note that the state’s statutory deadline used to give personal injury victims four years to file their lawsuits, but the law changed on March 24, 2023. If your Tampa boat accident happened after that date, you must follow the two-year deadline.

All Florida boating accidents may not be subject to Florida’s statute of limitations. Depending on where the accident occurred and whether it is covered under federal maritime laws, different timelines may apply. Reach out to our office for a free case evaluation and we can help you understand what the statute of limitations is in your case. 

Contact Our Tampa Boating Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation 

For boating accident victims in Tampa, Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers has provided quality legal services since 1996. With over 75 years of collective experience and over $100 million in settlements and judgments under our belts, we have what it takes to help you get to your optimal physical and financial recovery. 

Contact our Tampa boating accident lawyers today to get started. We are available 24/7 and we offer free case consultations with no obligation to hire our firm.

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