Our Pro Ocala Boat Accident Lawyer Win Cases

Ocala, Florida is a popular destination for boating enthusiasts. Our North Central Florida location is close to the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast, the St. Johns River, and the Ocala National Forest, where many people boat on Halfmoon Lake.

However, tragedy can happen in an instant due to speeding, reckless driving, alcohol use, and other events.

If someone else caused you injury while you were out boating, seek legal help. Contact an Ocala boat accident attorney to see how we can help you get compensation for your damages.

Should I Hire a Lawyer After a Boating Accident?

It is highly advisable to consult a boat accident lawyer in Ocala after being involved in a boating collision. Some key reasons retaining legal counsel can benefit you include:

• We determine liability. An attorney can investigate the accident circumstances and gather evidence to establish who is liable for your accident injuries. The evidence we use may include navigation logs, witness statements, expert witness testimony, and photos or video. This is crucial for a personal injury claim.
• We negotiate for every cent you deserve. Our Ocala personal injury lawyers go toe-to-toe with insurers to get all the damages you suffered, including medical bills, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering.
• We deal with insurance companies. Our boat accident attorneys have the legal experience and knowledge to deal with complex insurance laws and pushback from insurance adjusters who try to minimize valid injury claims and payouts after accidents.
• We understand Florida’s boating laws. Boating laws involve intricate regulations beyond standard personal injury cases. Our injury lawyers are well-versed in these niche rules to strategize the best case approach.
• We provide court representation. If we determine this is the best way to get the compensation you deserve, our lawyers can file a lawsuit against all negligent parties and fight for you in court.
• We handle cases on a contingency-fee basis. Many people don’t hire legal representation because they think it’s unaffordable. Our personal injury attorneys manage cases with no upfront fees and only recover attorney’s fees if we win your case.

Between intricate local boating ordinances and insurance laws, it can be helpful to have an Ocala boat accident lawyer who has successfully handled these cases before guiding you.

What Makes Meldon Law Different?

The team at Meldon Law truly CARES about our clients. We handle cases with Compassion and Accountability. We are Reliable and strive for Excellence and Success in every case we handle. We will ensure you are informed and comfortable throughout the legal process. You are more than just a case; you’re a neighbor we want to help in any way we can.

What Can I Recover for My Accident Losses?

A boat accident can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. These can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more to treat. That estimate doesn’t include other losses like wages or the pain you endure. Our Ocala personal injury lawyers will fight for every dollar you deserve for:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Related expenses
• Pain and suffering

If you lost a loved one in a fatal boating accident, please accept our sincere condolences. Our team would be honored to have the opportunity to seek justice for your loved one through a wrongful death claim. We will fight for compensation for:

• Medical expenses
• Funeral and burial costs
• Lost support and services
• Loss of companionship
• Pain and suffering

Our boat accident attorneys won’t back down when it comes to getting you the compensation you and your family need.

How Long You Have to File a Boat Accident Lawsuit in Ocala, Florida

According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit for injuries caused by a boat accident in Florida is generally two years from the date of the accident. Other deadlines may apply to insurance claims. Your boat accident lawyer in Ocala will review the details of your case and tell you what deadlines apply to you.

No matter the circumstances of your boat crash, you’ll want to contact an attorney as soon as possible.

Can You File a Claim if You Were Partly to Blame for a Boat Accident in Florida?

Yes, it is possible to file a claim and seek damages even if you were partially at fault for a boat accident in Florida. Florida follows modified comparative negligence principles, meaning you can recover compensation but the amount you can recover gets reduced by your percentage of fault.

It’s also important to note that you must be below a certain level of fault to recover damages. If you are less than 50% at fault for causing the accident, you can still make an injury claim against other parties who were also negligent.

Fault is determined on a case by case basis by examining the actions of all parties involved and applying navigational rules and duties, such as right-of-way concepts. Our Ocala boat accident attorneys will protect you from any accusations of fault.

Why Ocala National Park’s Halfmoon Lake Is Dangerous for Boaters

There are many tragic lessons to be learned from Halfmoon Lake. This lake, which is located in Ocala National Park, is a popular spot for water recreation, including boating. Despite the beauty of the lake, it has been the site of several devastating accidents:

• In 2005, two men drowned when they were boating on the lake.
• In 2014, a boat containing a family of five capsized on the lake, leaving a grandmother and a father dead.

While some Florida boating accidents are caused by circumstances that are out of anyone’s control, far too many are caused by negligence on the part of a boat operator or another party. When a boater is injured due to another person’s carelessness, an Ocala personal injury lawyer on our team can seek justice on their behalf through a civil claim.

How Negligence Causes Boating Accidents in Ocala

There are several ways negligence can cause boating accidents in Ocala, Florida. Here are some of the most common reasons:

Inexperienced Operator

Many people think driving a boat is easy, since there is so much open water. This is not always the case. Even if you can drive a passenger vehicle well, a boat may be much harder. If you can’t drive it well, you could crash it.

Alcohol Use

Many people spend the day out on the water drinking alcohol, but it’s illegal to drive a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Alcohol reduces reaction times and impairs judgment, making it dangerous to operate a boat. The legal blood alcohol content limit for operating a boat in Florida is 0.08%, the same as for driving a car.

Speeding

Many boaters like to take their vessels to top speeds. They may find it fun, but it can be dangerous, especially if they lose control. Excessive speeds can make it impossible to react in time or respond to changing water conditions before an accident takes place.

Weather Conditions

Wind and storms can make water dangerous and cause an accident.

Equipment Failure

A boat’s defective part can cause it to crash. For example, a broken steering system or failed brake lines could cause a boat operator to lose control, leading to collision with another vessel or infrastructure like a dock.

Evidence You Can Use to Prove Fault in an Ocala Boating Accident Claim

Here are some examples of evidence that can help prove fault and support injury claims after a Florida boating accident:

• Police reports: Official police reports document important details about the boating accident. This establishes the sequence of events and can help prove liability.
• Accident reconstructions: Marine accident reconstruction experts can analyze damage to vessels and simulate the collision. This shows speeds, angles of impact, and the actions of each vessel to identify negligence.
• Marine navigation data: Navigational devices, GPS equipment, and vessel monitoring systems store speed and positional data that can depict vessel locations before and during the incident.
• Toxicology reports: Blood alcohol tests or drug screens on operators involved, especially in reckless boating cases, help determine if blood alcohol content (BAC) levels exceeded legal limits.
• Photographs: Time and location-stamped photographs of damage to property/boats, injuries incurred, debris fields, and accident scenes are highly valuable visual evidence.
• Witness statements: Testimony from passengers as well as witnesses aboard other vessels nearby can help establish how and why the crash occurred.

An Ocala boating accident attorney can use this evidence to establish negligence and justify injury and damage compensation.

Injuries You Can Get Compensation for After an Ocala Boating Accident

Injuries from boat accidents can be temporary, like lacerations and fractures, or they can have life-changing consequences that will require years of treatments, caretaking, and other expenses. Some of the most common types of injuries that can occur in boating accidents include:

• Amputations
• Blunt force trauma
• Brain injuries
• Burn injuries
• Catastrophic injuries
• Drowning
• Internal injuries
• Propeller injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Wrongful death

When boat accidents happen because of a negligent act, too often it is the innocent victims who are stuck holding the bills. If you are injured, getting compensation in a Florida civil claim can give you the financial resources you need to take care of your health.

Common Ways People Are Injured in Ocala Boating Accidents

Serious boating accidents can occur from the following:

• Falls overboard. The most common type of boating fatality, this happens quite often to anglers and hunters. It leads to death when the person cannot swim or gets trapped while in the water.
• Departing a vessel. Departing a vessel may often be safe if the person can swim, but it can be deadly when the person is intoxicated.
• Capsizing. A boat can capsize when it is hit by a huge, powerful wave, or when it collides with another boat or other object.
• Collision. When a boat collides with a boat with a fixed object, it can lead to serious injuries for the occupants.
• Flooding. It is possible for the boat to fill with water, but stay buoyant. This can cause occupants to drown while the boat is still floating.

Contact an Ocala Boating Accident Attorney Today

Boating accidents happen more often than you may think and they can result in serious injuries, including drownings. While some crashes are caused by boater error, sometimes they are caused by other people. They can be held liable for your damages.

Seek legal help from the personal injury attorneys at Meldon Law. We can determine liability and help you obtain compensation. Have an Ocala boating accident attorney assess your case by contacting us online or calling us today.