Have you been injured in a boating accident in St. Petersburg, Florida? Do not wait to contact the experienced legal team at Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group to discuss your situation. You may be entitled to compensation from a negligent boat operator, a vessel manufacturer, or another liable party. Our top-rated St. Petersburg boating accident lawyers can help you maximize your recovery.
Since 2005, we have been a passionate advocate for injured boaters and grieving families in St. Petersburg, FL. Our team includes several Board Certified Civil Trial Specialists and attorneys recognized for excellence in personal injury law. As passionate advocates for our clients, we’ve successfully won over $250 million in monetary awards.
Don’t struggle with the consequences of your boating accident on your own. Force top results by trusting our law firm to fight for you. We offer a complimentary case evaluation, so contact our St. Petersburg boating accident attorneys to get started now at (772) 569-8155.
How Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group Can Help You After a Boating Accident in St. Petersburg, FL
What caused the boat accident? Why did it happen? How could it have been avoided? Who’s responsible for the collision?
What are your rights as a victim? What kind of evidence do you need to prove your case? What happens to your legal claim if you get blamed for the boat accident?
These are important questions, but not ones you need to be focused on right now. You need to concentrate on your physical health, emotional stability, and getting back on your feet. Give yourself that opportunity by trusting our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers to take charge of your boat accident lawsuit.
Injury victims in St. Petersburg choose Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group because we offer compassionate, effective legal representation. We’re recognized as leaders in personal injury litigation by The National Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. We stand up to powerful corporations and win millions for clients like you.
We’ll handle every aspect of your boat accident claim:
- Launch a thorough independent investigation into your boat accident
- Evaluate vessel maintenance records, video footage, witness statements, medical records, weather reports, and other important pieces of evidence obtained during discovery
- Consult expert witnesses who can provide insight into some of the more technical aspects of your case and help us understand the impact your boat accident has had on your life
- Build a persuasive legal claim and file it with the local Pinellas County court clerk and/or insurance company
- Determine the best way to handle any claims of contributory negligence that might be raised by the defense
- Actively seek a maximum settlement offer during negotiations with the at-fault party, defense attorneys, and the insurance provider
- Take your boat accident lawsuit to trial if you’re continually lowballed during negotiations
Boat accidents are expensive. Hiring an attorney doesn’t have to be. When you choose Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group, you benefit from our contingency fee representation. If we take your case, it means there are no upfront costs or fees. You’ll only pay when our St. Petersburg boat accident lawyers win compensation for you.
Now’s the time to take action, so don’t hesitate to contact our St. Petersburg law office. Your first consultation is always free.
What Causes Most St. Petersburg Boat Accidents?
Every year, hundreds of boat accidents are reported across the state of Florida. According to the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were 659 boat accidents statewide in 2023. Pinellas County ranked fourth for boat accidents in Florida that year. In total, Pinellas County recorded 40 boating accidents, of which 14 caused injuries and one was fatal.
Roughly one-third of these Pinellas County boat accidents happened in waterways on and off the coast of St. Petersburg.
Unfortunately, most of St. Petersburg’s boat accidents can be avoided.
The vast majority are caused by avoidable acts of negligence and vessel defects, including:
- Operator inattention
- Drug and alcohol use
- Unsafe speeds
- Operating a boat in bad weather conditions
- Ignoring state and local boating laws
- Equipment failure
- Negligent vessel maintenance
- Flooding
- Incorrect anchoring
- Navigational errors
- Hazardous waters
- Wake errors
- Colliding with a fixed object
- Colliding with another vessel
- Capsizing
Boat accidents can be complicated. It’s important to fully understand why and how a vessel capsizes, floods, or collides with something. Our St. Petersburg boat accident attorneys will carefully investigate your crash, gather evidence, consult experts, and work hard to get to the bottom of what happened. Once the cause is clear, our law firm can begin to pursue compensation from anyone who shares responsibility for your injuries.
Types of Boat Accident Cases We Handle
At Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group, we have extensive experience representing clients whose lives have been forever changed because of:
- Kayaking accidents
- Canoeing accidents
- Jet Ski accidents
- Speedboat accidents
- Sailboat accidents
- Pontoon boat accidents
- Fishing boat accidents
- Houseboat accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
- Yacht accidents
If you’ve been injured in an accident on a boat in St. Petersburg, do not hesitate to contact our legal team to discuss your legal rights and options. We’re available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Who’s Liable for a Boating Accident in St. Petersburg?
In Florida, liability extends to everyone whose negligent or wrongful actions contribute to a boat accident.
A thorough investigation will help us understand why your boat accident happened, and by extension, who’s at fault.
This might include the following:
- Boat operator
- Vessel mechanic
- Vessel owner
- Boat rental company
- Boat passenger
Once liability is clear, our boating accident attorneys in St. Petersburg will actively work to get you the compensation you need to move forward with your life.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Boating Accident in Florida?
Keep in mind that Florida’s modified comparative negligence system distributes liability among all responsible parties – including victims. If you share some of the blame for your recent boat accident, it will directly affect your ability to recover compensation. Damages are reduced proportionately to fault up to 50 percent. When your liability is equal to or greater than 51 percent, the right to seek damages from another liable party is lost.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded to Boat Accident Victims?
When you suffer injuries in a boat accident in St. Petersburg, you’ll reserve the right to seek compensatory damages through a personal injury claim.
Compensatory damages can include two different types of awards: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages help you handle the financial consequences of your boat accident, which might include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages and disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Costs of a funeral
Non-economic damages help you cope with the consequences of a boat accident that are much more personal and more difficult to value.
Non-economic damages can include money for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Chronic physical pain
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement and scarring
Our St. Petersburg boating accident attorneys will consult experts in medicine, rehabilitation, therapy, and other specialties as we build your case. We’ll have them weigh in and help us fully appreciate how your boat accident has affected and changed your life. When it’s time to negotiate a settlement, we’ll be prepared to leverage a top-dollar monetary award on your behalf.
Helping You Seek Damages For All of Your Boating Accident Injuries
Since most boat accidents take place on the water, the potential for serious – potentially life-threatening – injuries is quite high.
No matter what types of injuries you’ve sustained in a recent St. Petersburg boat accident, Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group will be here to help you assert a legal claim for damages.
We represent clients who’ve suffered:
- Broken bones
- Crush injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Spinal cord injury
- Back injury
- Neck injury
- Whiplash injury
- Brain injury
- Hypoxic brain injury
- Concussion
- Amputation
- Degloving injury
- Leg injury
- Drowning injury
- Chest injury
- Hypothermia injury
- Catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death of a family member
Report your boat accident to the local Coast Guard and St. Petersburg Police Department. Then, get to the closest emergency room for a prompt medical evaluation. Sometimes, the rush of adrenaline you experience in an accident can mask signs and symptoms of serious physical trauma. As a result, delaying treatment can be catastrophic for your health and the future success of a personal injury claim.
What is the Statute of Limitations on Boat Accident Lawsuits in Florida?
Florida applies a two-year statute of limitations to most boat accident lawsuits. This gives you until the second anniversary of your boat accident or family member’s death to formally pursue damages from an insurance company or another liable party.
You lose the right to seek damages if your claim is not filed before the statute of limitations expires.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced St. Petersburg Boating Accident Lawyer
Call Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group if you’ve been injured in a boating accident in St. Petersburg, FL. You have rights as a victim, which can include the ability to seek compensation for your medical care, loss of income, and anguish.
Our St. Petersburg boating accident lawyers have the experience and resources you’ll need to make the most of your fight for compensation.
We’re award-winning Board Certified civil litigators with a proven ability to win top results. We’ve helped clients secure over $250 million in damages. Today, we’re here to fight for you, too.
Get started by setting a time for a free consultation with our St. Petersburg law office. We’re always standing by to take your call.