Miami is a dream destination for many, especially because it offers pristine beaches and numerous watersport activities like jet skiing, kayaking, and surfing for water sports enthusiasts. As much as it is thrilling to cruise through the waves with your boat, the ocean isn’t kind every time.
You’d be astonished to know that more than 24 million people visited Miami beaches in 2019. With such a great number of people, there’s a high possibility of accidents. Florida State ranks highest when it comes to boat accidents. As per reports submitted by US Coast Guards, Florida experienced around 679 boat accidents in 2019. Out of these, 55 accidents were fatal, 299 included non-fatal injuries, and 338 were property damage. If you find yourself caught in a boat accident caused by someone else’s negligence, it’s best to hire a Miami boat accident lawyer to represent you in court.
One can not have control over another person’s actions, but if you are careful and alert, you can avoid boat accidents. Many times even a small mistake can lead to severe misadventure. Here are five such common mistakes that you need to avoid for a safe boating experience.
1) Not Checking the Weather Forecast Before Heading to the Ocean
A boating trip can span from a few hours to a few days. That means you need to plan your trip according to the weather conditions. Unless you want to get surprised by storms, rough seas, and harsh winds, it’s best to check weather conditions for the next few days before heading out in the waters. It’s essential to understand that marine weather is different from onshore weather forecasts. The weather conditions in oceans change more often and drastically than on land. That means you always need to keep yourself updated about the latest weather forecast before heading out for a sea adventure.
2) Running Aground in the Waters
Though running aground is common for boating, sometimes it can lead to severe damage to your boat and cause serious accidents. Depending on where you are boating, the severity of the running aground can change. The sand bottom or softer mud may not cause much damage, but rock in the ocean bed can seriously damage the boat. It’s best to slow down while traveling through such sections. Also, have prior knowledge about local underground obstacles to steer clear from them.
3) Crashing on the Dock
The error in judgment and factors like mechanical problems or power loss can crash the boat into the dock. Often, the boat operator fails to judge speed and distance and ends up hitting the boat at the dock. It creates a safety risk for passengers. If the boat is too fast, the impact will be bigger, which can injure the passengers.
4) Not Taking Legal Help After Accidents
Boat accidents can be fatal and can put human life in danger. If an accident is caused due to the negligence of a boat operator or because of someone else’s mistake, boat accidents can lead to lawsuits, primarily for the damage to life and property. The boating accidents demand special lawyers who have experience in fighting similar cases.
With such a great number of people present at the Miami beaches and in the ocean, accidents are likely to happen. If you suffer from any boat accident because of someone else’s fault, you should hire a Miami boat accident lawyer to represent you and get you the settlement or compensation you deserve for your physical damage and emotional trauma. These lawyers are well versed with different marine accident laws and have good experience with handling accident cases.
5) Overloading the Boat
Overloading the boat is one of the common mistakes done by many boat operators and owners. Every boat comes with a predefined load limit. Exceeding this weight limit creates problems in efficiently navigating the board. It might create additional safety problems during bad weather conditions. That is why you should never load more weight than the predefined advised limit. Allow only a certain number of people, luggage, and equipment on board to be safe in the waters.
You can easily avoid boat accidents if the boat operator is experienced and you follow the safety guidelines. Always remember that boat accidents can be brutal, as it involves the risk of drowning too.
