Port St. Lucie Boating Accident Lawyer

Port St. Lucie is a perfect location for enjoying time on the water. But accidents happen, even in paradise. If you’ve been harmed because of someone else’s carelessness, our Port St. Lucie boating accident lawyers are here to help. 

The days following an accident can be confusing. At Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers, we can handle all the details of your case for you. Law office partners Jason and Debi Chalik can personally support you throughout your pursuit of the compensation you need and deserve by providing critical legal advice. 

Compensation You May Recover Following a Boating Accident

Recovering a full and fair compensation settlement or judgment after a boating accident can mean different things, depending on the extent of your personal injury and the amount of property damage you sustained. Our attorneys help you decipher each loss, injury, and expense for which you may be owed damages. We want to help you get as close as possible to what your life was like before the accident. 

You may receive compensation for:

• Medical expenses related to your accident-related injuries, such as hospital costs, surgeries, specialists, treatments, medications, rehab, short- and long-term care, medical devices, and more
• Lost wages as you take time off work to recover
• Loss of future earnings if your injury requires you to take a lower-paying job or not work at all
• Pain and suffering 
• Loss of enjoyment of life, should your injuries affect your ability to participate in typical activities
• Property damage
• Wrongful death damages, if you lost a loved one in the accident

We will sit down with you to detail each injury so that when it’s time to file your claim, we seek the maximum compensation available in your case. 

How Our Port St. Lucie Boating Accident Attorneys Help You

Jason and Debi Chalik of Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers believe in providing personal attention to each client. Our boating accident lawyers in Port St. Lucie will listen to everything you have to say about the accident. We then proceed on your behalf with the following:

• Investigate the details by collecting reports from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Division of Law Enforcement or from other official entities
• Gather eyewitness statements from fellow passengers, crew, and boat operators 
• Collect statements from witnesses not directly involved in the accident
• Gather other accident data, including photos or videos
• Identify potentially liable parties
• Communicate with official agencies, insurance companies, boat owners, operators, and other parties involved in the case
• Negotiate with the insurance company for a full and fair settlement 
• Prepare for trial and represent you in court, if necessary

Liable Parties

To ensure safe boating, constant attention while on the water and regular boat maintenance are required. Responsibility for an accident can be found with many parties, including:

• Boat owners — The owner must keep the boat seaworthy, hire experienced captains for pleasure crafts, loan the boat only to experienced boaters, and provide and maintain up-to-date safety equipment. If the owner fails at any of these or other tasks within their realm of responsibility, they may be liable for harm to you or your property.
• Boat operators — The operator of the boat must be trained and qualified to run the boat. They must also keep an eye out for other boats or obstacles, adverse weather, or sea conditions that may lead to a collision or collapse. Boat operators have many other responsibilities to ensure the safety of their passengers. If the operator does not do these things or fails to act appropriately, they might be liable for your injuries or property damage.
• Boat or parts manufacturers — If the manufacturer of the boat or a part of the boat produces a poor or unsafe product, they might be liable for the accident that caused your injury or property damage.
• Other passengers — If you are injured by another passenger through intent or negligence on the part of that passenger, they might be held liable for your injury.

Although it sounds simple, identifying who may be liable for your injury or property damage may not be obvious. For instance, if the crew of a commercial vessel allowed a fellow passenger to drink to excess and the passenger attacked you, who is responsible? The passenger, the crew, or both? Your boating accident attorneys will help you determine the individual or entities who may be responsible for the accident. 

Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers

Our personal injury attorneys are proud to have recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients and their families. When we take on your case, you become part of our family, and we fight as hard for your rights as we would for our own. 

Here’s what some of our past clients have to say:

• “. . . Through the whole case from start to finish, they took care of all my needs. Making appointments for me and scheduling doctors’ visits. At this time, I still hadn’t met Debi, but had talked to her on the phone. Everyone in the office was very nice and very supportive. It took almost three years, but Debi and the team at Chalik and Chalik got the job done. I gave them a big hug after everything was said and done . . .” – Eric B.
• “I really can’t say enough great things about this firm. Honest, ethical, and great communicators. Dell made me feel like family and answered all my questions numerous times. The experience that Jason and his team have is quite obvious. They kept me comprised about my case at all times. Very happy client!!” – Charles P.

Our Attorneys’ Fees

We work on a contingency-fee basis, which means you do not pay any attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you. You pay nothing upfront or out of pocket when you hire us.

Our team also provides a free initial consultation. During this call, we listen to you and share our thoughts on your questions and concerns.

Statute of Limitations to File Your Boating Accident Cas

Victims of personal injury have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit. In Florida, you generally have two years, per Florida Statutes § 95.11.

Our boating accident attorneys in Port St. Lucie, FL will help you figure out the time you have from the date of the accident. To ensure that you preserve the right to seek compensation, we need to file as soon as possible.

Contact Our Port St. Lucie Boating Accident Attorneys Today

If someone else caused your boating accident, you may deserve compensation. Because time may be a factor in your right to file a claim for your boating accident injuries, contact our office today to discover your rights and the next best steps. The call is free and comes with no obligation.