Fewer Florida Boating Accidents This Fourth of July

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 21, 2015

Typically the Fourth of July weekend is the perfect storm for boating accidents in Florida. However, this year law enforcement officers are reporting a decrease in the number of reported accidents – a result they claim is due to increased preventative measures.

For instance, in the Miami area, the Coast Guard enacted a 15-knot slow speed zone between Black Point Marina and Julia Tuttle Causeway – the site of a deadly July 4th accident last year. This year no major boating accidents were reported.

However, the weekend was far from being an accident free one. Several non-boating accidents and injuries were reported, including a firework mishap, several car accidents and a handful of boating incidents. For example, in Broward a teenager was hospitalized with serious injuries after driving his boat into a seawall. Nearby, a five year girl was taken to the hospital after being struck by fireworks.

The most severe injury happened in Margate, where a 24 year old male lost his hand while attempting to set off fireworks. This fireworks/hand injury is in addition to New York Giants baseball player Jason Pierre-Paul, who injured his hand in a fireworks related incident in South Florida.

There was also several motor vehicle accidents. In one incident, 28 year-old Edgar Cerqueira lost control of his car at an intersection, causing him to hit the guardrail, spin around sideways and slam into a tree. Cerqueira was ejected from the vehicle on impact and pronounced dead at the scene.

Yet nothing compares to last year’s boating accident, when three boats collided killing four people. To prevent a repeat like this, the Coast Guard and other police focused on aggressively enforcing maritime rules, issuing a higher number of citations for failure to have proper navigation lights and arrests for boating under the influence. Really, the only boating-related incident of note was a capsized boat that required three people to be rescued, and a jet skiing accident resulting in minor injuries…this year’s holiday weekend was “smooth sailing”.

If you or a loved one have been injured over the Florida Fourth of July weekend, or during any other summer holiday, call the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham today. Whether you were injured in an automobile accident, a boating accident or a fireworks accident, Attorney James O. Cunningham has the experience to get you the compensation you deserve. Call 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) today for your free initial consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.