South Florida Maritime And Admiralty Law Attorney Robert Gross On Last Month's Boating Fatality Near Pompano - December 2012

Unfortunately, with all of the boating activity on the South Florida waterways, personal injuries and even fatalities are not uncommon. Last month, a forty-five foot catamaran carrying two-dozen Thanksgiving Day divers capsized when it was struck by an eight to ten foot wave. One of the passengers, fifty-four year old Nina Poppelsdorf, of New Mexico was pinned under the hull of the Coral Princess and died. Three others were injured. Boaters from other vessels scrambled to collect the stranded passengers.

Although the news accounts describe the boat being capsized by a single large wave, without further investigation into the accident and hearing the testimony of the surviving victims and witnesses, it would be difficult for any attorney to know whether human error played a role in the boat crash. Boating accidents involving personal watercraft and small vessels, like this one, are a frequent occurrence in the waterways of Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties—and many of them are preventable.

In many cases, vacationers will come to South Florida seeking adventures on the waters. The dangers of activities like boating, diving, parasailing, et cetera are often understated by the tour companies that offer these activities. Oftentimes, this results in individuals assuming that they can or should participate in an activity that might not be as safe as they are being lead to believe. When an injury or wrongful death occurs as a result, the victims or their families often have to seek compensation in a Florida civil court.

As a personal injury lawyer with a dept of experience in maritime and admiralty claims, I have represented multiple victims of boating accidents and other mishaps occurring on the waterways. One of he keys to the successful outcome of a personal injury suit resulting from a boating accident is to involve the services of a qualified Florida maritime and admiralty law attorney in the case as early as possible. When it comes to boating accidents on the Florida waters, valuable physical and testimonial evidence can be lost after even a short time delay. The composition of boating debris can change rapidly. Witnesses return to their homes from their Florida vacations before giving statements. Acting quickly gives your attorney the best chance to obtain a complete picture of the incident, and thereby increases your odds of receiving full restitution for your damages.

If you have been injured in a boating accident or any accident on the water, contact Miami Maritime and Admiralty lawyer Robert C. Gross, P.A. at 305-793-5526.