New Port Richey Boating Accident Lawyer

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It’s important to understand your legal rights and options if you were hurt in a boating accident near New Port Richey, Florida. If the accident wasn’t your fault, an experienced New Port Richey boating accident lawyer can help you fight to recover compensation for things like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve been helping accident victims like you recover fair compensation since 1996. We won’t rest until we’ve done everything possible to recover the maximum compensation available in your case.

Are you ready to learn more? Contact our law offices in New Port Richey, Florida to schedule a free consultation today at (727) 815-8442.

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How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Boating Accident in New Port Richey

When you’re seriously hurt because of someone else’s mistake, the responsible party should step up and take responsibility. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. In fact, the at-fault party and their insurance company might go to great lengths to avoid taking responsibility.

Our New Port Richey personal injury lawyers are here to make sure they don’t get away with it. If an accident on the water has left you struggling, give us a call today. We’re Board Certified in Civil Trial by the Florida Bar Association – which means we’re experts in cases like yours.

When you hire our lawyers to handle your case, you’ll have an attorney who will:

Lead a full investigation into your accident to identify the cause
Demand compensation from each party responsible for causing your injuries
Hire leading medical and financial experts to testify on your behalf
Stand up for you if the insurance company tries to avoid paying by blaming the victim
Negotiate to obtain the maximum amount of compensation available in your case

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re not afraid of a fight–and we take our clients’ losses personally. We know that the stakes are high if you’ve been seriously hurt on the water. Our legal team will do everything we can to maximize your financial award.

With over 50 years of experience between us, we have a history of getting results for our clients. When it matters most, count on our New Port Richey personal injury attorneys to protect your interests. To learn more about what our team can do for you, call our law offices for your free consultation today.

How Common are Boating Accidents in Pasco County, FL?

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, there are more boating accidents in Florida than in any other state in the nation. In 2019, there were 723 reportable boating accidents statewide and 65 fatalities. FWC only considers a boating accident “reportable” if it caused a fatality, serious injury, or property damage.

In Pasco County, which has 20 miles of shoreline, boating is incredibly popular. In 2015, it ranked as the 18th most dangerous county in Florida for boaters. That year, there were 12 collisions and three deaths. Neighboring Hillsborough County and Pinellas County ranked 14th and 5th, respectively.

By 2019, boating accidents in Pasco County had declined – there was only one reported accident involving personal watercraft.

It’s not all that surprising that so many boating accidents happen in Florida. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) data, over 16,000 personal watercraft are registered in the New Port Richey Bay area alone–and there were about 961,266 registered vessels in the state as a whole in 2019.

What is My New Port Richey Boating Accident Case Worth?

The value of a personal injury claim depends upon a few things. Every single case is different and reaching a fair estimate takes time–so be wary if the insurance company tries to hand you a check right away.

In fact, if the insurance offer comes in without much of a fight, the amount is probably less than you deserve. That’s a sign that the insurance company has estimated the value of your case and thinks you’ll accept less.

When you hire us, our Board Certified civil trial specialists will make sure you understand what your case is worth.

Our personal injury lawyers will dig deep, asking questions like:

What will your future medical care cost?
When will you be able to return to work–and how much income will you lose between now and then?
How will the injury impact your everyday life?
What type of emotional impact did the accident have? Will it be lasting?

We don’t just work to get reimbursement for your past losses. Our goal is to secure a comprehensive financial award that accounts for both past and future costs–and your financial, physical and psychological damage.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Boating Accident Victims?

Florida personal injury law divides compensation into two primary categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.

Your economic damages award gives you money to cover your out-of-pocket costs, including:

Medical bills
Lost wages
Future medical expenses
Lost future earning capacity
Physical therapy and other specialized care

Boating accident victims in New Port Richey are also entitled to recover compensation for the emotional and psychological toll the accident has taken.

These non-economic damages often include money for:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
Loss of enjoyment of life
Disfigurement and scarring
Loss of consortium and other damages for wrongful death

Winning a personal injury case takes both time and resources. We don’t consider your case a win unless we’ve recovered the full and fair amount of compensation you deserve. When you have Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers in your corner, you can rest assured that we’ll invest both the time and money needed to maximize your financial recovery.

Call our law firm today if you’re ready to learn more about your right to receive compensation after a Florida boating accident.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Gulf Coast Boating Accident Injuries

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we know that any injury can disrupt your life–regardless of how big or small the injury might seem. We fight to maximize the value of your compensation award so you can get the medical treatment you need.

For example, represent boating accident victims who have suffered:

Broken bones
Soft tissue damage
Concussions
Head and neck injuries
Shock
Hypothermia
Brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Eye injuries
Chest injuries
Paralysis
Burn injuries
Internal organ damage
Amputations and loss of limbs
Catastrophic injuries

These injuries can have both short-term and long-term consequences. If you were hurt on a motorboat, sailboat, or even a jet ski and the accident occurred in the New Port Richey area, give us a call to learn more about your legal options.

What Causes Most Boating Accidents in New Port Richey, Florida?

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, our boating accident attorneys handle all types of boating accidents, including those that involve:

Collisions with other vessels
Collisions with fixed objects
Slip and fall accidents
Grounding
Flooding
Fires and explosions
Falls overboard
Capsizing

Most boating accidents are caused by driver negligence. In other words, they happen because the boating operator fails to act carefully to protect others from getting hurt.

According to FWC, some of the most common causes of boating accidents in New Port Richey include:

Failure to keep a proper lookout
Inexperienced operators
Drunk driving
Operating the boat under the influence of drugs
Excessive speeds
Mechanical failures
Hazardous waters
Violation of navigational rules

Unfortunately, FWC data shows that about 58% percent of the boating accidents each year in Florida involve operators who haven’t completed a boating education course.

Driver error is a leading cause of boating accidents. We can also help you recover compensation if a defect in the vessel itself caused the accident.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Boating Accident in Florida?

Most boating accident cases are based on negligence. In other words, your right to compensation rests upon showing that someone else’s careless or reckless acts caused the accident–and your injuries.

From a legal perspective, Florida law requires accident victims to offer proof about the following four elements:

A duty of care (generally, all people have a duty to act carefully to protect others from injury)
Breach, which is a mistake or violation of the duty of care
Causation–the breach must have directly caused the accident and injuries
Damages, whether physical, financial, or emotional

To establish negligence, you have to have evidence about who and what caused the accident. It can be difficult to get that evidence while you’re recovering from a serious injury.

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Our personal injury lawyers in New Port Richey will:

Obtain and review all accident reports
Analyze your medical records
Interview eyewitnesses
Hire accident reconstruction specialists
And more

In other words, we’ll put our resources to work to find out how your accident happened. We take an aggressive approach so that you have the strongest chance of recovering maximum compensation. If you were injured in a boating accident and are interested in learning more, call today for a free case review.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Boating Accident in Florida?

In Florida, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit after most boating accidents. State law used to give personal injury victims four years to file lawsuits, but the law was revised on March 24, 2023 to reduce the statute of limitations. If your New Port Richey boat accident happened after 3/24/23, you have two years to file your civil lawsuit.

However, boating accidents can involve a complex mix of Florida state, federal, and even maritime law.

If you have questions about the filing deadlines in your case, it’s always a good idea to take action sooner rather than later. Call an experienced personal injury attorney at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers today for a free case evaluation.

Contact a New Port Richey Boating Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Were you or a loved one hurt in a boating accident in New Port Richey? Call an experienced New Port Richey boating accident lawyer at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers as soon as possible. We’ll assess your case for free and help you understand your options for recovering the fair compensation you deserve.

Other Practice Areas In New Port Richey, FL

Here are some of the additional case types that our personal injury law firm in New Port Richey, FL can help with: