Florida Accident Attorney Blog

Whether embarked on from a Florida beach, off the dock at a Caribbean resort, or at a Midwest lake recreation area -- parasailing can be a dangerous endeavor.

A recent case in the news illustrates what can happen when something suddenly goes wrong and a parasailing accident occurs.

A Minnesota teen was injured this past weekend as she was attempting to parasail. News reports state that a 17-year-old girl was injured in a lakeside parasailing accident when she struck a pontoon boat that was docked nearby. The accident occurred on Lower Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, MN. The teen was reportedly brought to an area medical facility with non life-threatening injuries. No further details of this parasailing incident were available.

Parasailing is a popular pastime in Florida beach communities such as Fort Lauderdale and Miami. However parasailing safety in Florida and elsewhere is questionable, given the government does not yet regulate the parasailing industry.

As experienced Fort Lauderdale, Florida parasailing accident lawyers know too well -- this form of beachside recreation that appears to be fun and carefree can be hazardous -- even leading to serious injuries and death.

Many factors are at play when a young person, tourist, or other beachgoer gets strapped into a parasail harness and is lifted aloft and towed out over the water by a motor boat. That person's lifeline is, literally, a rope attached to the boat. If any of the equipment fails (e.g., if the rope goes slack or breaks), if the boat operator makes an error, or if wind or other weather conditions change for the worse -- the potential for catastrophic injury or death from a parasail accident increases.

See our previous blog entry on a Miami Parasailing Accident that left two people injured.

Teen Hurt in Parasailing Accident
Brainerd Dispatch July 26, 2010

Parasailing Accident Injures Girl
WNMT AM 650 Radio July 26, 2010

Related Web Resource

Wikipedia: History of Parasailing

A West Palm Beach news source reports that a four-year-old was killed when he was run over by a truck that was driving on a beach in Central Florida.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, the child, Aiden Patrick, was at New Smyrna Beach with his parents on Sunday afternoon when he was struck and killed by a Dodge pickup truck that was driving along the beach. Preliminary reports stated that the truck accident may have occurred because the driver did not see the child.

Florida Beach Driving Accidents

The Palm Beach Post reports that in the past 5 years in Volusia County, Florida, at least 40 beach-goers have been struck in motor vehicle accidents on the beach with more than half of the accident victims suffering serious personal injury.

Allowing cars and trucks to drive on the beach in the United States and in certain Florida locales, such as the Daytona area, is controversial -- due to the risk of catastrophic pedestrian accidents as well the impact on the coastal environment and wildlife. Volusia County regulates beach driving by designating beaches into three zones -- urban, transitional, and natural zones -- and by limiting when cars and trucks can drive on the beach to certain times and months of the year.

West Palm Beach injury lawyers have knowledge regarding Florida traffic laws put in place to keep pedestrians safe. The tradition of beach driving in Florida is tied to NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway.

Pickup runs over, kills 4-year-old on Central Florida beach
Palm Beach Post July 19, 2010

Related Web Resources

Volusia County Beach Safety: Beach Driving and Parking

Coastal A - Z : Beach Driving

A North Fort Myers, Florida man has been charged in a hit and run accident from May 10 that seriously injured a Fort Myers bicyclist.

According to news reports, 22-year-old David Mustonen was riding his bicycle home from his restaurant job around 1 a.m. when he was struck by a pickup truck, which fled the accident scene. The Fort Myers traffic accident occurred on Bayshore Road near Glick Drive. Bicyclist Mustonen was hospitalized in intensive care for three days at Lee Memorial Hospital with serious personal injuries.

Florida Highway Patrol reports that a witness tip led investigators to a damaged white 1994 Ford F-150 pickup truck parked in a local supermarket parking lot. After an investigation that lasted several weeks, state troopers arrested Richard Clem, age 54, of North Fort Myers, Florida. Clem is charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident that caused bodily injury.

Fort Myers truck accident injury lawyers may be consulted by injured parties and their families if an accident may have been caused due to the negligence and recklessness of another driver.

Bicyclists, like motorcycle riders and their passengers, are particularly vulnerable to serious injury when involved in Florida traffic accidents with cars, trucks, and SUVs. Florida bicycle accident injury attorneys are familiar with the safety laws in place designed to help bicyclists and motorists share the roads safely.

N. Fort Myers man charged in hit-and-run crash
ABC-7.com July 2, 2010

FHP finds suspect vehicle in hit & run case
NBC-2.com May 13, 2010

Related Web Resource

NHTSA Bicycle Safety Portal