Yacht accidents
Florida doesn't require specialized training or experience to pilot most yachts, which means people regularly operate boats they don't fully understand how to maneuver. When that inexperience causes an accident, the operator can be personally liable for passengers' injuries — and for the injuries of people aboard other vessels involved in the crash.
Yacht-related injuries commonly result from:
- Collisions with other watercraft
- Collisions with fixed objects
- Operating in poor weather
- Hitting a wave or wake at unsafe speed or angle
- Propeller contact
- Excessive speed
- Operator unfamiliarity with navigational rules
- Defective design, construction, or repair
- Exceeding maximum capacity
Victims may be entitled to recover medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
Jet ski accidents
Personal watercraft like jet skis are everywhere in South Florida, and so are the accidents. About 20% of boating accidents involve a PWC — roughly 125 reported incidents per year, with a heavy concentration in Miami-Dade.
Most jet ski accidents are falls from the watercraft or collisions with other vessels or fixed objects. Owners can be liable if the equipment was unsafe, or if they rented it to a minor, an intoxicated rider, an inexperienced rider, or someone heading out in poor weather.
Florida's jet ski safety rules include:
- All occupants must wear an approved life jacket.
- Jet skis may only be operated between sunrise and sunset.
- Navigation lights must be used.
- The operator must be at least 14 years old.
If you or someone you know was hurt in a yacht or jet ski accident, call 305-677-2228 for a free case evaluation.