Recent Blog Posts
Are You Liable if Someone Drives Your Boat and Becomes Injured?
In Florida, the most common type of boating accident occurs when one vessel crashes into another. Determining liability in these cases is always complicated, but it becomes even more complex if you have allowed your boat to be operated by someone and they, or passengers on another watercraft, became injured. If you are found… Read More »
What Pool Injuries are Common on Cruise Ships?
Florida is known as being an ideal place to take a cruise, and many of the biggest cruise ship lines depart from our state’s ports. These cruises are known for providing great entertainment, delicious food, and memories that last a lifetime. Unfortunately, not all cruises end well. Even if the ship does not get… Read More »
LABOR DAY BOAT CRASHES
Every year at www.888BoatLaw.com (law offices of Frank D. Butler, PA) we see some of the worst boating accident injury cases for the year, they occur on Labor Day or on the Labor Day weekend. These boating accident cases involve boat crashes, but also passengers being hurt on vessels where the operator of the… Read More »
WHAT ARE THE BUSIEST CRUISE SHIP TERMINALS IN FLORIDA?
Three of the busiest cruise ship launching terminals in the world are located in Florida, including the top two. This is according to the cruise ship industry publication, CLIA. Coming in at number three in the State of Florida (#9 worldwide) is Port Everglades, along the coast of Hollywood, Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale). According… Read More »
CAN YOU RIDE A JETSKI AT NIGHT IN FLORIDA
No. In fact, Florida Statute §327.39 states that a personal watercraft (also commonly known as a Jetski or “PWC”) can only be operated in Florida 30 minutes before sunrise and then only until 30 minutes after sunset. This will be true regardless of whether you are riding a PWC in the Atlantic, in the… Read More »
WHAT IS A LIMITATION OF LIABILTY ACTION?
A Limitation of Liability action (46 U.S.C. §30501) is a suit initiated in federal court to limit the liability of a boat owner after a casualty to worth of the involved vessel after the casualty. In plain talk it is usually a vessel’s insurance company filing a legal action in federal court seeking to… Read More »
WHAT IS A LIMITATION OF LIABILITY LAWSUIT?
A Limitation of Liability (46 U.S.C. §§30501-30512) lawsuit is a civil action filed by a vessel or boat owner to try to limit their exposure to the worth of the vessel that was involved in the incident that caused injury and/or financial damages. In real-life terms it is a civil action brought in federal… Read More »
Determining Liability for Rental Boat Injuries
With over 1 million vessels registered in 2022, Florida leads the country in the number of recreational boats in the state. Thousands of these boats are rental boats that allow residents and visitors alike to take advantage of the state’s many rivers, lakes, and coastal beaches. With so much activity on the waterways, accidents… Read More »
Can You Sue if an Impaired Boat Operator Caused a Crash?
Florida leads the nation in boating accidents and many of these crashes are caused by impaired boat operators. Due to the fact that the state has more recreational boat operators than any other state, Florida’s boating under the influence (BUI) laws are very strict. Anyone convicted of a BUI will face serious penalties including… Read More »
DO SEX ASSAULTS OCCUR ON CRUISE SHIPS?
Yes, unfortunately sexual assaults occur on cruise ships and we know this to be true because of the FBI data which is reported by cruise passengers, cruise workers, and the cruise lines themselves. For the 12-year period of 2010 through 2022, Business Insider found reports of 500 (Yes, that is Five Hundred) sexual assaults… Read More »