Florida Boat Accident Heads to Civil Court: Woman Suffers Serious Injuries When Cut by Propeller
A South Florida boating accident that cost a Naples grandmother her eye and caused other permanent injuries is heading to court.
According to news reports, Audrey Decker, 64, was taking a sunset cruise with her husband in their Boston Whaler when she fell overboard and was struck by the boat's propeller. Mrs. Decker was taken by medical helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida, for emergency treatment for serious damage to her face, arm, and breast.
A Naple news source reports that in the decade since the pleasure boat accident occurred on Lake Sapphire, Mrs. Decker's serious personal injury has required more than 40 surgeries. A civil lawsuit filed in 2002 alleges that the boat and motor manufacturers are liable, and that a propeller guard could have prevented her injuries. Mrs. Decker and her husband are scheduled to appear in Collier Circuit Court this week, for what is believed to be this court's oldest unresolved civil lawsuit.
Florida Boat Accident Fatality and Injury Statistics
A Florida boat accident attorney works with families when a loved one suffers injury or dies in a boating accident that could have been prevented. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, more than a million boats are registered in the state of Florida (commercial and recreational craft), with another estimated 350,000 unregistered craft using Florida's waterways. Fatality and injury statistics:
- Seventy-seven (77) people died in Florida boating accidents in 2007.
- Falling overboard was the main cause of fatal accidents (38%) and drowning was the main cause of death (55%).
- 90% of the fatalities were men.
- 56% of fatal accidents involved boats of less than 17 feet in length.
- 376 injuries were reported for 2007 involving 949 vessels and 14 swimmers.
Lost face: Scarred and scared, boating accident victim heads to court in Naples
NaplesNews.com June 6, 2009
Related Web Resources
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Boating Safety
Florida Boating License and Boat Safety Course: Boating Accidents
