Jacksonville Personal Injury Blog

If you’ve got the boat ready for a weekend on the water, the Coast Guard has a warning for you- Wear a Life Jacket!

The Coast Guard says the July 4th holiday is the deadliest holiday for boaters, so they and Florida Fish and Wildlife units will be out patrolling the waterways this Independence Day holiday in 12-hour shifts, according to a report.

For the same reason you wear a seat belt in a car, a life jacket is a must when there are more people boating, especially at night when it’s difficult to see. Not everyone is likely to be paying attention with the fireworks going off, so it’s always a good idea to have a second observer paying attention to where you are going and looking for any hazards in the water.

Another thing to remember- just like driving a car, don’t drive a boat drunk. Alcohol is a known factor in about 20 percent of fatal boating accidents, so if you plan on drinking, name a designated driver.

Our waters can be very shallow and unpredictable, especially in Intracoastal waters, and tides and currents can make boating a challenge on the St. Johns River.

When out in deep water, running out of gas is a problem for some who are not paying attention. The Coast Guard will be bringing extra fuel containers onboard for those boaters this weekend. And after ten hours on the water – don’t forget about the drained batteries you will need to get back home.

Continue reading "Buckle Up Onboard for 4th of July Weekend" »

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Posted In: Boating Accident , Law & Information , Personal Injury

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The Coast Guard and Navy responded to the distress call from a 22-foot boat Friday afternoon. The four people aboard the boat reported they were sinking about 10 miles off the coast of Jacksonville. According to a story, Mayport’s Coast Guard Station sent a 47-foot rescue boat to the scene to help the boaters as their vessel was taking on water. Luckily no one suffered any personal injuries due to this incident.

This reminds us of similar scenes that are repeated often off Florida’s coast. A sudden storm pops up and rain and lightning hamper a quick return by the boaters. It is mandatory to know the weather before leaving the dock.

In this case, the engine broke off the boat, so time was of the essence.

Fortunately these boaters had life jackets on. Statistics show that boaters who wear their life jackets have a better chance of surviving a private boating accident in Florida at sea.

The Coast Guard estimates that about 80 percent of boating fatalities could have been prevented if those aboard wore life jackets. Requirements are that there should be a Type I, II, III or V life jacket for each person aboard.

If you are unconscious, a jacket is designed to keep your head above water and keep you in a position for proper breathing. And in freezing water, a jacket can keep you buoyant longer than without one, increasing your visibility and chances you’ll be picked up sooner. There are also boating safety courses offered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which oversees our shores and manages fish and wildlife resources.

Luckily in this case, despite the engine quitting and the sudden weather, no lives were lost and everyone was safe. As we are at the start of the summer boating season, it is essential to remember to insist on your own life jacket and one for every member of your party. It could save your life.

The aftermath of a boating accident can be frightening and emotionally straining, especially when a family member is seriously injured or killed. When watercrafts are operated recklessly, those who are negligent should be held accountable for any injuries or wrongful death that they cause. Contact the skilled Jacksonville boating accident attorneys at Farah and Farah for a free and confidential evaluation of you or a loved one’s boating accident case.

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Posted In: Boating Accident , Personal Injury

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Amelia Island is the southernmost of the ‘sea islands’, which stretch along the east coast of the United States, from South Carolina to Florida. Known as the "Isle of Eight Flags", it has had the following flags flown over it since 1562: France, Spain, Great Britain, the Patriots of Amelia Island, the Green Cross of Florida, Mexico, the Confederate States of America, and the United States.

The island itself is 13 miles long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. It rests just off the coast of northeast Florida and features beautiful beaches, abundant wildlife, and pristine waters. Voted #6 among Top 10 North American Islands by Conde Nast Traveler's 2008 Reader's Choice Awards, Amelia is the highest ranked island destination in Florida for two consecutive years.

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Being such a major tourist attraction, vacationers flock to the region year round to enjoy the sun, sand, and water. As with all vacation areas, with so many individuals partaking in so many different types of water sports and diversions, boat and watercraft accidents are bound to happen. When these Amelia Island personal injury accidents are the result of the negligence of others, the law offices of Farah and Farah can help represent your interests.

Following a serious boating or offshore accident, a Florida boat accident lawyer at Farah and Farah can help you seek the financial recoveries you are entitled. By contacting an attorney, you will ensure your rights and property are protected. At Farah and Farah in Jacksonville, Florida, a boating accident attorney will be assigned to your case immediately to both advise you and aggressively pursue your claim.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured off the coasts of Florida, contact an Amelia Island boat accident attorney at Farah and Farah today for a free consultation of your case.

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Posted In: Boating Accident , Personal Injury

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Six people were rescued from a boating accident near Florida in the Atlantic this week, about 90 miles east of Jacksonville after their boat started to sink.

According to a report, a Good Samaritan saw the boat sinking and called the Coast Guard to the rescue.

A Navy P-3 aircraft was used to help spot the sinking boat while a Coast Guard helicopter came from Clearwater on the west coast to pick up the passengers. A Coast Guard jet came from Miami with a de-watering pump the boaters could use.

Fortunately, the boaters had their life jackets on and were spotted quickly; both of which saved their lives.

The Coast Guard estimates that in about 80 percent of boating fatalities, the passengers could have been saved if they had been wearing their life jackets. Boaters primarily die from drowning, according to Coast Guard statistics and among those in 2002, 85 percent were not wearing a personal flotation device.

Whether you are sinking in heavy seas or thrown off a dock or boat, a life jacket will keep you afloat, even in freezing water. However do not try to use an adult life jacket on a child, it does not work.

Boating fatalities have actually declined from a high of nearly 2,000 nationwide, reports the Coast Guard, but thousands are injured every year in boating accidents. The boat owner has the responsibility to remind everyone onboard to wear their jackets because accidents happen swiftly, leaving little time to reach a stowed jacket.

As experienced Jacksonville personal injury attorneys at Farah and Farah, we are encouraged that these people understood boating safety and were lucky enough to be found in time. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries and think that negligent or reckless operation led to your accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the skilled boating accident attorneys in Florida at Farah and Farah today for a case evaluation.

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The investigation into an Easter Sunday boat crash on the Intracoastal Waterway south of Jacksonville is expected to take some time to piece together, but one theory has been a known problem for some time.

David Roach, who is the executive director of the Florida Inland Navigation District, has been speaking out about the eight mile stretch of waterway in the channel that encourages some boaters to use it as a speedway. The Navigation District has been lodging complaints for years to the Army Corp of Engineers that the docks intrude into the channel.

Without breaks, boaters may find that trying to steer out of trouble can be deadly. In a report, Roach tells the Florida Times Union, “I think that’s what you saw here, [the dock] was so close to the channel it didn’t give this person any degree of error. Once she strayed out of the channel she was in trouble.”

We now hear that the area of the recreational boating accident is known as ‘the ditch’ to boaters in the area because it is so narrow and shallow and that even experienced boaters have trouble navigating them. Some of the docks are built 36 feet from the edge of the navigation channel, which in itself is only 125 feet wide. A dock on both sides of the channel does not leave much room to maneuver.

Five people were killed Easter Sunday when their 22-foot boat hit a tugboat in the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley just south of Jacksonville. Altogether 14 were on the boat when it slammed into a tug tied up to a barge at a worksite building a boat lift.

And while alcohol was suspected to play a large role in the death count, the driver’s blood alcohol count reveals she was most likely not intoxicated. The 44-year-old woman had a BAC of 0.035, well below the level for intoxication in Florida at 0.08. That means the driver had the equivalent of a drink and a half.

Continue reading "Easter Sunday Boat Crash: Intracoastal Docks a Problem for Boaters " »

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So far about 1,500 people have signed a Facebook memorial for one of the victims of last Easter Sunday’s boat crash near Jacksonville. Liz Rosenfeld, 20, and a student at the University of North Florida was buried Thursday. Two women who worked at the Clay County YMCA will be buried Friday.

They were three of the five people killed last Sunday evening when their 22-foot boat hit a tugboat in the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley just south of Jacksonville. According to a report from news4jax.com, altogether 14 were on the boat when it slammed into a tug tied up to a barge at a worksite building a boat lift in this tragic coastal accident in Florida.

Among those killed was a 23-year-old woman from California. Two other people in their 20s and two in their 40s, all from the Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville Beach, or Jacksonville area. The 44-year old woman killed was a local math teacher.

Nine were injured and three had to be airlifted to area hospitals. Shortly after 9 p.m. Shand’s trauma center took in the mass casualties that included blunt trauma, head injuries, fractures, and internal injuries.

Alcohol was present at the site of the private boating accident in Florida, but there is no word on who was driving and whether he or she was impaired, which is illegal, though it is not illegal to have an open container of alcohol on the boat as it would be in a car.

The crowd was traveling north from The Conch House Marina in St. Augustine. Expect charges to be filed. The 22-foot Crownline was over capacity by two passengers and it was traveling in a no-wake zone. Witnesses at The Bridge restaurant say they saw it going nearly full throttle then they heard the emergency vehicles.

Continue reading "Palm Valley Fatal Boating Accident Kills Five And Leads to Tributes, Grief and Questions " »

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The news does not appear to be good for the three men still missing off the west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.

One man has been recovered, but three are still missing.

The Coast Guard received a call early Sunday morning that four boaters did not return from a fishing trip off the coast of Clearwater, Florida. The four men are hard to miss, they include Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor “Marquis” Cooper, Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith, William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler. Beakley and Schuyler were former University of South Florida players.

The four set out about 6:30 Saturday morning for a fishing trip in the Gulf and their 21-foot boat was anchored about 35 miles off shore. While the weather was calm in the morning, winds picked up and seas rose up to 14 feet. The men raised the anchor and Schuyler, speaking from his hospital bed, said that’s when the boat overturned.

The Coast Guard found Schuyler Monday sitting on top of the overturned boat. With water reported to be about 61-degrees, Schulyer likely survived because a) he had on a life jacket and b) he stayed with the boat. He is now recovering in the hospital from dehydration and hypothermia as a result of the boating accident off Florida's coast.

We are hoping for the best for the other men. What are the lessons to be learned here?

First, a 21-foot boat is no match for an eight foot wave, much less a 14-foot wave.

Boaters should always wear life vests, as everyone did onboard here. A vest will keep you floating a little longer, increasing your survival time. Typically someone can survive two to seven hours in water that cold before hypothermia sets in.

Always let someone know when you will return and give them a float plan. Constantly check the weather to monitor conditions that can change on a dime.

Continue reading "Capsized Boat and Fading Hopes For NFL Players" »

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Posted In: Boating Accident

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