Dangerous Hazards on the Beach can Cause Injuries

May 17, 2018 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman
Dangerous Hazards on the Beach can Cause Injuries Many people head to Florida beaches for some fun in the sun – and to escape the rigors of their daily grind. However, a fun day at the beach can turn into a nightmare if an accident occurs due to a hazard in or around the water. In some cases, these accidents occur because of negligent beach maintenance or poorly trained beach staff. In those instances, you may have a right to recover monetary compensation for your injuries. In order to recover monetary compensation in a beach accident case, you will need to show that a person or legal entity was negligent. Usually, this means that the at-fault party did something that should not have been done – or failed to take certain action that should have been taken. In those cases, you may be able to recover monetary compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and inconvenience related to the accident. The experienced Clearwater beach accident attorneys at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA can discuss how your accident happened and may be able to recover money damages against the appropriate parties on your behalf.

Common Types of Beach Accidents

Beach accidents can occur under a variety of circumstances. These accidents can sometimes lead to catastrophic injuries and damages which require immediate medical care and treatment. Some common types of Florida beach accidents include:
  • Drowning accidents or near-drowning accidents
  • Surfing accidents
  • Accidents sustained in water sports, including traumatic brain injuries
  • Cuts and lacerations from sharp objects or rocks in the water, on ocean jetties, or on the shoreline
  • Jet ski accidents
If you or a loved one has sustained any of these injuries while on a Clearwater beach, you should contact the necessary emergency personnel, including the lifeguard on duty, and request emergency services. When you arrive at the hospital, be prepared to provide the on-duty doctor or nurse with a description of how the accident happened, as well as a description of all of your injuries and symptoms.

Common Causes of Beach Accidents

Clearwater beach accidents can occur for a myriad of reasons. In some cases, it can be difficult – if not impossible – to determine the ultimate cause of a beach accident. In other cases, a person or entity may bear some or all of the responsibility for the accident. For example, if you can show that an accident happened because a lifeguard was not properly watching the water, then you may be able to make a legal claim for damages. Moreover, if the beach was not properly maintained, the beach owner (e.g., a resort or the city) could be liable for the damages sustained. Some of the most commonly responsible parties in Florida beach accident cases include the following: Private owners who are responsible for beach maintenance
  • Lifeguards
  • Hotels and resorts
  • Coastguard
  • City, county, or municipality
  • Other beach patrons
In order to corroborate your version of a beach accident, you should try to identify and speak with any witnesses who observed the accident as soon as possible. Moreover, if you suspect that any of these individuals or entities caused or contributed to your beach accident, you should take action as soon as possible. This is especially true if the city or county could be a possible defendant in your case, as different (and shorter) notice periods might apply in your case.

Pursuing Monetary Recovery

In a Florida beach accident case, you may be able to make a claim directly against the at-fault party. In order to do so, you must ordinarily be able to show that the other party was negligent. In the beach accident context, you must demonstrate that the other party owed you a duty of care and that the other party violated that duty of care. For example, in the negligent lifeguard context, you would need to show that the lifeguard owed a duty of care to properly watch the water and make every effort to prevent beach accidents from occurring. If you or one of your witnesses can demonstrate that the lifeguard was not paying attention to the water while on duty, then you may have a valid cause of action. The same might be true if another person caused your injury while the lifeguard was not paying attention to the beach or the water. In addition to proving fault on someone else's part, you must be able to show that you or a loved one sustained injuries and damages as a direct result of the beach accident. If your loved one died as a result of the at-fault party's negligence, you might be able to open an estate on behalf of the decedent and pursue monetary damages under wrongful death claim. The estate may then be able to recover those damages. In a beach accident case, you may be eligible to recover monetary compensation for some or all of the following:
  • Medical bills
  • Physical therapy bills
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Mental anguish
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

Talk to a Clearwater, Florida Beach Accident Lawyer Today

Beach accident cases can be difficult to prove because they are often dependent upon witness testimony. Witnesses can be challenging to track down because people are not always paying careful attention to their immediate surroundings while at the beach. If you or a loved one has sustained injuries as a result of a beach hazard, time may be of the essence in your case. Therefore, you should not delay in seeking legal representation. The Clearwater beach accident lawyers at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA understand the difficulties associated with proving beach accident cases. Our skilled legal team may be able to help you assemble the necessary evidence to prove fault and damages in your case. To schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with a Florida beach accident lawyer, please call us today at (727) 451-6900, or contact us online. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA 800 North Belcher Road Clearwater, FL 33765 (727) 451-6900 Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney

 

Matthew Dolman

Personal Injury Lawyer

This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits.  Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.

Learn More