Have you been hurt in a boating accident in Destin, FL? You may have the right to recover a substantial monetary award for your medical bills, lost wages, and suffering. The experienced Destin boating accident lawyers at Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to maximize your recovery.
Since 1990, our award-winning trial attorneys have been fighting for injury victims and families in Northwestern Florida. With over 60 years of experience behind every case, we’ve helped our clients win millions in life-changing awards.
Contact our law office in Destin, Florida, or call (850) 842-2573 to find out how we can help you, too. We offer a free consultation and are standing by to take your call right now.
How Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After Your Boating Accident in Destin
Boat accidents can be incredibly traumatic. In addition to severe physical injuries, the trauma of being involved in an accident on the water can be overwhelming. You deserve compensation if someone else caused your boating accident.
Our personal injury attorneys in Destin are ready to help you fight to get the money you deserve.
We’ll handle every aspect of your case from start to finish and stand up to well-funded defendants on your behalf.
While you focus on recovering, our law firm will:
- Conduct an independent investigation into your boating accident to determine why it happened
- Gather evidence that supports your demand for compensation
- Consult with experts, including admiralty and maritime expert witnesses, accident reconstructionists, forensic specialists, medical professionals, and more
- Anticipate efforts to blame you for your boat accident and injuries
- Handle challenges that might arise under Florida state or federal maritime law
- Negotiate with other parties and their insurance companies to get you the best possible deal
- Bring your personal injury claim to a jury in Okaloosa County if the insurance company refuses to negotiate fairly
Our team has over 60 years of experience, and its co-founder is a former insurance defense attorney. We have the experience, insight, and resources needed to win your watercraft accident case. Give our law office in Destin a call to learn more and arrange a time for your free consultation now.
How Common Are Boating Accidents?
Destin is one of the top boating destinations in the Sunshine State, and for a good reason. Crab Island, Joe’s Bayou, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Destin Harbor, and Destin’s East Jetties all offer great opportunities for new and experienced recreational boaters. The Destin Marina is also home to more than 100 charter and party boats, as well as the largest commercial fleet in Florida.
So, there’s no shortage of recreational and commercial vessels traveling on the waterways around Destin. It’s no surprise that Florida is the state with the most boating accidents every year.
There are hundreds of boat accidents reported in Florida annually. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were no less than 836 boat accidents on Florida waterways in 2020. At least 70 of those boat accidents were fatal and resulted in 79 deaths.
That marked the most Florida boating accidents in recent history. Between 2019 and 2020, accidents involving water vessels increased by more than 16 percent. This could be due to the fact that more people were on the water rather than spending time on land, thanks to COVID restrictions.
In 2020, Okaloosa County ranked 6th in the state for boat accidents with:
- 2 fatal accidents
- 16 accidents with injuries, and
- 13 accidents resulting in no injuries.
That year, 58 percent of boating accidents in Okaloosa County resulted in an injury or death.
What Causes Most Boat Accidents in Destin, FL?
Operator inattention and failure to look out were the leading causes of boat accidents in Destin and Okaloosa County in 2020, contributing to 19 wrecks that year.
Other common causes of boat accidents in Destin include:
- Operator inexperience
- Speeding
- Careless boat operation
- Weather
- Violating navigation rules
- Machinery failure
- Congested waterways
- Drug and alcohol use
Most boat accidents are the result of operator or passenger negligence. However, sometimes defective vessels or safety equipment can also contribute to boat accidents in Florida.
What is My Boat Accident Case Worth?
Every boat injury case is different. The value depends on the victim – like their age and whether they had any pre-existing conditions – and the types of injuries they suffer.
The more serious an injury, and the more that injury changes a victim’s life, the more a case tends to be worth.
However, this doesn’t mean that cases involving more moderate injuries aren’t worth a lot. When you’re watching medical bills stack up and your income drop off at the same time, every penny counts. This is especially true when you’re only in this situation because someone else was negligent.
Speak with our experienced boating accident attorneys in Destin to get insight into what your specific case might be worth. Our team is here to take your call whenever you need our help the most – 24/7.
What Damages Can Boat Accident Victims in Destin Recover?
Compensatory damages are available to boat accident victims in Destin, Florida. Compensatory damages fall into two categories: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are paid to offset the financial losses of your accident, while non-economic awards make up for things like pain and suffering.
Our Destin personal injury attorneys will fight to get all of the damages you deserve after your boat accident, including:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Property damage
- Mental anguish
- PTSD
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and more.
If there’s evidence that you were hurt intentionally or due to gross negligence, punitive damages might also be available.
We Handle All Boat Accident Cases in Destin, Florida
No matter what type of boat accident you’ve been hurt in, Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help.
Our experienced attorneys represent clients who’ve been involved in:
- Jet ski accidents
- Motorboat accidents
- Canoe accidents
- Kayak accidents
- Tour boat accidents
- Party boat accidents
- Commercial charter boat accidents
- Rental boat accidents
- Commercial fishing boat accidents
- Sailboat accidents
- Pontoon boat accidents
- Yacht accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
- Marina accidents
- Waverunner accidents
- Fatal boat accidents
Don’t hesitate to call our law office serving Destin, Miramar Beach, Fort Walton Beach, and surrounding areas if you or a loved one are injured in a boat accident. We’ll listen to your side of the story, assess your case, and help you understand what legal options you might have.
What Happens If I’m Getting Blamed For a Boating Accident in Destin?
Florida operates under modified comparative negligence rules. This means that anyone who shares fault for an accident – including victims – shares liability.
If you’re getting blamed, it means that:
- You can be on the hook for some of the other victims’ damages.
- Your financial award will be reduced by your share of the blame.
- Your right to damages will be eliminated if you are mostly at fault.
Other parties will try to blame you. It’s the easiest way to try to avoid paying you all of the money you deserve. If you do nothing, you could watch much-needed compensation disappear. With Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers representing you, these tactics won’t go unchallenged. We’ll be ready and prepared to fight back to limit your liability and maximize your recovery.
Boat Accidents Can Cause Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Death
If you’re in a boat accident, you’re susceptible to injuries you could suffer in a car accident on dry land and water-related trauma.
Our boat accident lawyers in Destin will work hard to get you compensation for all of your injuries, including:
- Broken bones
- Hypoxia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Accidental amputation
- Drowning
- Hypothermia
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Eye and face injuries
- Hearing loss
- Burns
- Spinal cord injury
- Neck and back injury
- Wrongful death
Always seek medical care as soon as possible after a watercraft accident in Okaloosa County. Document your injuries and make sure that you contact an experienced attorney to take care of your personal injury case.
What is the Time Limit For Filing a Boat Accident Lawsuit in Florida?
If you’ve been hurt on waterways in or around Destin, FL, you’ll have two years to file a lawsuit. You’ll also have just two years if a loved one has been killed in a fatal boat accident in Destin. You may have longer in some instances.
Do not let the statute of limitations expire without taking action. If that happens, you’ll lose the right to recover the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With a Destin Boating Accident Lawyer
Were you or a loved one injured in an accident with a boat in Destin, FL? Call Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers. Our Destin boating accident lawyers can help you seek maximum compensation for your medical costs, financial losses, and distress.
Put 60+ years of experience and a firm that’s won millions of dollars in your corner. We offer a free case evaluation, so give us a call or contact us online today.
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