Palm Beach Boating Accidents

There are thousands of boat slips in Palm Beach representing yachts, sailboats, fishing and ski boats. Sailors and vacationers from Jupiter and North Palm Beach all the way to South Palm Beach and Delray Beach take advantage of the Florida Inland Waterway and the warm Atlantic Ocean currents on a daily basis. Boating is an enjoyable pastime, recreational activity, or occupational necessity for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people in the U.S. Unfortunately, boating like any other form of transportation or recreational activity can have its mishaps. Whether it's from a mechanical error or an error in someone's judgment, people need to take their responsibility of owning a boat very seriously as it can affect themselves and other people in innumerable ways. People's carelessness and negligence, while operating a boat, is only the beginning that can cause any one of a number of boating accidents such as collisions, explosions, fires, capsizing, falls overboard and sinking or flooding.

According to the United States Coast Guard, over 700 people are killed in boating accidents each year and thousands more suffer serious and life changing serious personal injuries. Many of these boating accident victims suffer from severe lacerations, broken bones, neck and spinal injury, burns, internal injury or wrongful death.

In 2006 there were a total of 671 reported boating accidents in Florida resulting in a number of serious injuries and a devastating 69 fatalities. The most common causes of boating accidents are:

• Negligence
• Operator inexperience
• Alcohol use
• Excessive speed
• Hazardous waters

If you or a loved one has been involved in a boating accident or you have questions please call Law Offices of Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, P.L. at 561.622.0622 or send an e-mail to info@injuryattorneysforjustice.com.