Injured on vacation in Florida? This is what you need to know
Fort Lauderdale, FL – With millions of tourists descending on Florida over the summer, the number of accidents related to recreational activities will inevitably go up, which brings up the obvious question – when and how can you sue if you were injured on vacation in the Sunshine State?
After the tragic accident at the ICON Park in Orlando earlier this year which claimed the life of a teenager, a woman was killed while parasailing in Florida Keys. The family had come all the way from Illinois for a dream holiday in Florida. On May 30 they went parasailing. The weather was bad, there was a storm coming and the family wanted to come back the next day, but the boat captain assured them everything will be fine. It wasn’t. Soon after the parasail was up in the air, the captain lost control and eventually cut it loose. The parasail crashed into a bridge. 33-year-old Supraja Alaparthi was instantly killed, while her two boys were injured in the accident. Now, the family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that owns the boat. According to the lawsuit, “the company failed to properly train the captain and first mate, did not equip the boat with proper safety and parasailing equipment, and operated the boat in unsafe weather conditions”.
When can you file a personal injury/wrongful death lawsuit?
If you’re injured or if you lost someone you love in an accident while on vacation, you can file a personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death one. Both types of claims are based on negligence. Basically, your accident lawyers will have to prove that the other party had a duty of care toward you and they failed at it. But for their actions (or lack of) the accident wouldn’t have happened and you wouldn’t have been hurt.
What to do if you are injured on vacation?
See a doctor
The most important thing is to seek medical attention right away. For instance, if you slip and fall by the hotel pool, you’ll need proof that your back injury was caused by the accident and not by some other type of activity. Your lawyers will need medical records when they file a lawsuit.
Notify the property owner or manager
You or someone traveling with you should immediately notify the manager or owner of the resort, otherwise, they may try to claim the accident never happened. For the same reason, you should talk to eyewitnesses and get their contact info. Document the scene by taking pictures of the area where the accident happened or of the malfunctioning equipment that caused your injury.
Talk to a local lawyer
You’ll need someone to prepare your lawsuit and even represent you during certain procedural steps, as you probably don’t want to be traveling back and forth over the next few months. Also, a local lawyer has a better understanding of regulations and statutes than an attorney in a city hundreds of miles away.
In many cases, accident lawsuits are settled before the trial. Your Florida attorneys can represent you during the negotiations with the insurance company representing the party at fault.
If you were recently injured while on vacation in Florida, schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer at the Madalon Law firm, with offices in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Contact info:
Madalon Law
Phone : (877) 486-2883
(954) 923-0072
Fort Lauderdale Office: 100 N. Federal Hwy #CU5, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Miami Office: 150 SE 2nd Ave, Suite 300, Miami FL 33131
