Authorities Seek Help From the Public in Florida Hit-and-Run Boating Accident

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 29, 2012

Florida Fish and Wildlife Investigators have recovered the boat that struck and injured two people in a hit-and-run boating accident, but they are asking for the public’s help in finding the person or persons responsible for the accident. Investigators found the 25-foot WhiteWater boat on Sunday, July 29th, in the Dinner Key Marina, but they do not have much information regarding who was piloting the vessel when it struck the two victims. Earlier that day, the boat slammed into a 13-foot Boston Whaler, and the collision wounded the two people aboard the smaller boat, one of them seriously.

One victim, a 49-year-old man, suffered serious head injuries, and a 48-year-old woman suffered injuries described as non-life threatening. Both victims were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

A friend of the victims was outraged when he heard that whoever had caused the accident had fled from the scene to avoid taking responsibility.

“It’s inhumane, it’s inhumane to do that and leave people to fend for themselves helpless,” he said.

Orlando boating accident attorney James O. Cunningham could not agree more. Not only is it inhumane to cause an accident that injures people and then leave them injured and unable to help themselves in the water, it is also negligent. Negligent boaters can be held liable for the damages they cause just like negligent drivers and other negligent parties whose actions injure others. With the assistance of an experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer such as Mr. Cunningham, victims can seek many types of damages including these:

• Compensatory damages
• Monetary loss damages such as medical expenses, cost of living with a disability, lost income, repair or replacement of property and funeral expenses
• Non-monetary losses such as pain and suffering, loss of consortium and others
• Punitive damages, which are awarded when the negligent party’s actions are especially egregious, like causing an accident and then fleeing the accident scene without assisting the injured to avoid taking responsibility

If you or a member of your immediate family has been injured in a boating accident, you have a right to fair and just compensation. The kind and amount of compensation that you could receive will largely depend on the circumstances surrounding the accident and the types of injuries you or your family member has suffered. To gain a much better understanding of these and other legal matters, call Mr. Cunningham today at 800-425-2004 to schedule a free 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.