As the temperatures rise so do the amount of boats on our Treasure Coast Waterways. (Image courtesy of beachguide.com)

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, there will be more boats in the water along the Treasure Coast and in Lake Okeechobee.  More boats in our local waterways may signal the beginning of summer, but they also increase the risk of boating accidents and injuries.  Unfortunately, there are more boating fatalities in Florida than in any other state:  at least once a week, someone dies from a boating accident.  A majority of fatalities are boaters who drown.

Requiring everyone on board to wear a life jacket is still the most important safety device boaters can use to ensure a fun day on the water.  Boaters enjoy the feel of the sun and water spray and often don’t want to be burdened with a life jacket;  however, modern life jackets are comfortable and available in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Many are thin and flexible. Some are built into fishing vests or hunter coats. Others remain compact until they hit water when they automatically fill with air.  The U.S. Coast Guard requires boats to have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket for each person on board and the jackets must be stored properly and be easily accessible. Children must always wear appropriately sized life jackets.  Annually, test your life jackets for wear and buoyancy and discard waterlogged, faded, or leaky jackets.  Boats 16 feet and over must have at least one Type IV throwable device.

In addition to requiring everyone on board to wear a life jacket, you need other safety devices.  Boaters should be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Install CO alarms inside your boat.  Know where and how CO may accumulate around the boat, always maintain constant fresh air circulation, know where the engine and generator exhaust outlets are and stay away from these areas. Treat symptoms of seasickness as possible CO poisoning. Get the person into fresh air immediately and seek medical attention–unless you’re sure it’s not CO poisoning. Boats should also have a fire extinguisher and daytime and nighttime distress signals.

Above: Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card

Although Florida does not require a boating license, anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, operating a motorboat of 10 horsepower or greater must successfully complete an approved boating safety course and obtain a Boating Safety Education Identification Card issued by the Florida Wildlife Commission.  You should also keep your boat’s Certificate of Registration on board.

If an accident happens, Federal law requires that a boat operator or owner file an accident report with his/her state if a boating accident meets certain conditions. The accident must be reported within 10 days if it causes more than $2,000 of damage to the boat or property, or the boat is destroyed. You must report the accident within 48 hours if someone disappears as a result of the accident, is killed, or is injured beyond requiring first aid. Do not assume that your boat is automatically insured under your homeowner’s policy.  Call your insurance agent and confirm or obtain coverage.

Carelessness and inattention are the leading causes of boating accidents in Florida. Pay close attention to your surroundings while on the water, and you will be on your way to a safe and enjoyable outing. If, however, you are injured in a boating accident, contact me immediately for a free discussion about your potential case.

Toll Free: 1-866-460-1990;  After Hours:  1-772-359-0342;  Email:  HOSKLAW.com

Fewer than 10% of lawyers in Florida have earned the accreditation to call themselves Board Certified Civil Trial Attorneys.

I have been practicing law in the Treasure Coast and Lake Okeechobee areas for 33 years, and from the beginning of my career, I focused on representing injured victims in accident cases.  When the Florida Bar began its Board Certification process in the 1980′s, I made it a personal priority to meet the rigorous requirements to become Board Certified.

Established in 1982 by the Florida Supreme Court, the Florida Bar’s Board Certification program is one of the best in the country.  Only six percent of the attorneys in Florida are Board Certified.  I am proud to be a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney concentrating on personal injury law. Board Certification recognizes an attorney’s special knowledge, skills and proficiency in a specific area of law and an attorney’s professionalism and ethics in practice. To achieve Board Certification, an attorney must be a member in good standing of The Florida Bar, must have a minimum of five years in law practice, must have substantial involvement in the field of law for which certification is sought, must have satisfactory peer review of competence in the specialty field, must maintain excellent character, ethics and professionalism in the practice of law, must fulfill continuing legal education requirements within the certification area, and must have a passing grade on the examination required of all applicants or meet strict criteria to exempt the exam.

Board certification is valid for five years, during which time the attorney must continue to practice law and attend Florida Bar-approved continuing legal education courses. To be recertified, lawyers must meet requirements similar to those for initial certification. Not all qualified lawyers are certified, but those who are board certified have taken the extra steps to have their competence and experience evaluated.

Steve Hoskins is a Graduate of Cumberland School of Law

I  received my law degree from Cumberland School of Law, was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1980, and have been Board Certified as a Civil Trial Attorney by the Florida Bar since 1989. I am admitted to practice in all Florida State Courts and to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District and Southern District of Florida. I lead the Personal Injury Department in our firm, and I’m assisted by an experienced team of paralegals and professionals, led by senior paralegal and investigator Joe Williams who has over 32 years of experience and who has worked in law enforcement.  Our firm is well-known and well-respected in the Treasure Coast and Lake Okeechobee areas.  We have the reputation, the resources, and the dedicated personnel to assist injured victims in all aspects of a personal injury claim. I have successfully tried numerous personal injury cases to verdict and because of my successful career and expertise, I maintain my Board Certification, the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar.

If you have any type of accident or injury claim and you want the experience of our firm and a Board Certified Attorney working for you, call me.  I will put my knowledge, skills, proficiency, and years of experience to work for you.

Toll Free: 1-866-460-1990;  After Hours:  1-772-359-0342;  Email:  HOSKLAW.com

Before Your Explore Florida, Discover Changes in Your Auto Insurance.

The St. Lucie County Fair recently concluded, and there was a record attendance for the ten day event.  The fair theme this year was “Celebrate 500 Years” since 2013 marks the 500 year anniversary of Ponce De Leon stumbling upon our great state of Florida while in his search for a fountain of youth.  As a reminder of this significant anniversary date, the state has placed signs along our major highways reminding us to “Explore Florida.”

As we do every year, our firm had a booth at the fair and in adherence to the celebrate Florida theme, we wanted to remind people that before they explore Florida, they need to learn about the changes to their auto insurance policies.  We handed out thousands of free information packets explaining the major changes to Florida No Fault Insurance that went into effect January 1, 2013.  I was amazed at the large number of people, including some insurance agents, who were totally unaware of the recent insurance changes.

As of January 1, you now must obtain some type of medical care within 14 days of your vehicle accident or there will be no PIP benefits available under your auto insurance policy.  Therefore, taking a wait and see approach to injuries and medical care can now result in wait and lose.  Another huge change in the law reduces PIP medical benefits from $10,000 to $2,500 if an injured person is not correctly diagnosed with an emergency medical condition.  At this point, there does not seem to be a clear consensus on what exactly constitutes an emergency medical condition as defined in the new law.

Our firm still has information packets concerning these recent law changes.  The information is contained within a document holder that you can keep in the glove compartment of your vehicle.  If you would like to have this free information, contact us.

Toll Free: 1-866-460-1990; After Hours: 1-772-359-0342; Email: HOSKLAW.com