Tampa Boating Accident Lawyer

The Tampa Bay area is one of the top destinations in the country for boaters and beachgoers, offering a wealth of boating locations from Shell Key to Passage Key. Marinas, wildlife attractions by the water, aquatic activities, and sandbars abound. With such liberation out on the water, fun and drinking are sometimes accompanied by boat accidents.

If you or someone you know were injured in a boating accident, Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers can help. Severe injuries you may have suffered during a boating accident result in compounding medical bills and other unforeseen expenses. A Tampa boating accident lawyer at our firm can file a claim for compensation against the person or business responsible.

You can tell us how it happened and learn about your rights for recovering compensation during a free consultation.

No Cost for a Tampa Boating Attorney at Our Injury Law Firm

Our clients never pay up front for legal help. Your Tampa injury lawyer works on a contingency fee basis, which means you only pay if and when we win your case.

Without money as a roadblock to receiving legal help, you have access to our resources and knowledge base that can level the playing field when going up against larger, wealthier, or more experienced adversaries. Additionally, our legal team can get to work on your case immediately. Legal fees will only be assessed as a percentage of the compensation we recover for you.

How Much Money Can I Recover in a Boating Accident in Tampa?

The amount of money you can recover in a boating accident depends on the facts of your case; however, studies on the cost of boating accidents suggest that damages from a single accident could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Boating Accidents Result in $62.5 Million in Property Damage in the United States

The 2020 Recreational Boating Statistics released by the U.S. Coast Guard reports that 5,265 boating accidents in the United States resulted in $62.5 million of property damage. That’s $11,871 in property damage per accident. That doesn’t include the cost of boating injuries. Boating injuries are more likely to result in death and hospital admission than injuries from many other causes, which means greater expenses.

Boating Injuries Cost Billions of Dollars in the U.S.

According to a recreational boating injury study from 2002, the estimated cost of boating injuries was $3.6 billion. That number factored in the cost of medical treatment, wage/work loss, household production, and quality of life. The average cost of a medically treated boating injury was $114,000, twice as much as other transportation-related injuries. The number is only likely to be higher now—20 years later—especially as boating activity significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

You May Be Entitled to Collect Extensive Damages Related to Your Boating Accident in Tampa, FL

All this means that if you’ve been in a boating accident in Tampa, your related costs are going to be extensive. Paying for them on your own will likely be an uphill battle. If your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to bear that financial burden. A Tampa boating accident attorney at our firm will seek damages for your economic and non-economic losses, which can include:

• Medical treatment
• Medical devices and equipment
• Boat, personal watercraft, or boating equipment damage or loss
• Transportation and travel expenses
• Reduced earning capacity
• Wage loss
• Physical rehab
• Professional household services
• Diminished quality of life
• Inability to enjoy activities
• Depression, anxiety, social withdrawal or isolation, or other emotional distress
• Serious physical injuries (traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, broken bones, contusions, and many others)

Wrongful Death from Tampa Boating Accidents

Our law firm serving Tampa, FL also handles wrongful death claims. If your loved one was killed in a boating accident caused by someone else, you may be able to seek compensation for this terrible loss. Wrongful death claims can help cover the costs of:

• Funeral or burial expenses
• Pre-death medical expenses
• Loss of services
• Loss of financial support
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of guidance (for children)
• Loss of care
• Grief
• Other related expenses and emotional trauma

Will Your Tampa Law Firm Take My Water Accident Case If It Doesn’t Involve a Boat?

Even if your accident doesn’t involve an actual boat, you can still receive our legal help securing compensation. The term “boating accident” is used to describe an array of water-related accidents. Whether you were harmed while jet skiing, snorkeling, or parasailing, you were still involved in a boating accident, and we can help.

A Tampa boating accident lawyer could handle your case if you suffered injuries in a water-based accident, such as:

• Fishing accidents
• Drowning accidents
• Boat collisions
• Propeller accidents
• Boat explosions
• Personal watercraft accidents (such as a jet ski accident)
• Parasailing, surfboarding, waterskiing, kitesurfing, or other watersport accidents
• Swimmers, snorkelers, or divers hit by vessels
• Falling overboard
• Capsizing or sinking

You Get Personal Attention and Professional Service from Our Tampa Law Firm

Regardless of the kind of boating accident you were involved in, our Tampa injury lawyers will give you personal attention and professional service. Each client we take works with our founding partners, Jason and Debi Chalik. We believe in service. We give back to the Jewish community in Florida along with many others, and we treat our clients like family. Your case is our top priority. We take on insurance companies and phone calls, so you never have to. Our other duties to you include:

• Investigating your boating accident or watersport accident and determining liability
• Collecting evidence of your injuries and losses
• Handing communications with any insurance companies, defendants, or additional necessary parties
• Calculating the value of your case
• Filing an insurance claim for damages
• Negotiating in your best interests for an appropriate settlement offer
• Suing the negligent party in court, if necessary
• Updating you on how your case is moving forward

Hillsborough County Ranks in the Top 10 Counties for Boating Accidents in Florida

Hillsborough County ranks among the top 10 counties with the most boating accidents in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The top five causes of boating accidents in the county are listed below:

• Operator inexperience
• Inattention/not properly looking out
• Alcohol use
• Machinery failure
• Improper loading

Each of these is a negligent act, and if your boating accident was caused by someone operating in this fashion, you may be entitled to recover compensation from them. Alcohol use, in particular, is not only the most egregious of the five but also the leading contributing factor to fatal boating accidents. Operator inexperience plays a role in fatal accidents as well.

Injured in a Boating Accident in Tampa, FL? Contact Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers

Negligence in operating out on the water can cost victims their lives and livelihood. Whether on a boat, personal watercraft, or simply partaking in water-related activities, all those sharing the water must act with care. If you were injured in a water accident due to no fault of your own, a Tampa boating accident lawyer will fight for your rightful compensation. Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers for a free consultation today.

Tampa Personal Injury FAQ:

What If I Can’t Afford to Pay for a Personal Injury Lawyer in Florida?

If you can’t afford to pay for a personal injury lawyer in Florida, you could select a law firm that works on a contingency-fee basis. This fee structure means that a personal injury lawyer’s payment is “contingent” upon winning your case and getting compensation on your behalf. If you happen to lose your case, you...