Miami Charter Boat Lawyer

A charter boat is any boat that can be rented, which generally means that the boat comes with a captain,  and potentially a crew for larger boats. Charter boat accidents are fairly common, and injuries passengers can receive vary from minor to severe, including death. If you or a loved one were involved in any type of charter boat accident or injury, a Miami charter boat lawyer at Spencer Morgan Law can help you win your case against the negligent party responsible for your injuries and other damages.

The Most Common Causes of Charter Boat Accidents

• Unsafe Vessel—Every charter boat, big or small, needs to be properly maintained for its intended use. The rigging or engine must be in good condition, as well as the footing and seating for passengers to reduce the chances of a slip and fall.
• Lack of Safety Equipment—Having the proper equipment on board is vital not only to the purpose of the chartered trip, but also to everyone’s safety onboard. To make matters even more perilous, many serious injuries and fatalities are the result of not having the proper safety gear, including life jackets, sound signaling devices, fire extinguishers, throwable floatation devices, and cell phone and radio for calling help.
• Negligent Navigation—Poor navigational skills can put the boat, crew, and passengers of a charter boat in dangerous situations. Whether the captain of your charter boat got lost and ran out of fuel due, damaged the boat and injured passengers while hitting a reef or shallow rocks, or entered a shipping lane, resulting in capsize, they can be held liable for your injuries.
• Going out in Unsafe Conditions—Heading out to sea in unsafe weather conditions is another form of inexperience or outright carelessness. Experienced, cautious captains always thoroughly check forecasts, and will refrain from putting their clients in harm’s way, even if the client insists on continuing with the trip.
• Lack of Experience or Improper Training of Crew—An inexperienced captain and/or crew is a recipe for disaster in a charter boat trip, whether the outing is a few hours or a few days. With people’s lives at stake, inexperience is never an excuse. Examples of operator inexperience include failing to keep a proper lookout, navigational errors, going at unsafe speeds or making dangerous maneuvers, heading out in unsafe conditions, improper use of safety equipment, poor response in emergency situations, collisions with docks or other vessels, and more.

Call a Miami Charter Boat Accident Lawyer

Whether you slipped and fell, hit your head against a swinging door, broke your collarbone in rough sees, fell overboard, or were the victim of sexual assault, we can help. Going out on a charter boat should not require you to put yourself at risk of injury, or death. The charter boat operator or company can be held liable for your damages, including medical expenses, emotional distress, pain and suffering, lost income due to disability, and much more. Contact our Miami charter boat accident lawyer at Spencer Morgan Law today at 305-423-3800 for a no-cost consultation.