Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Beach Injury?
For many people, a day at the beach is a perfect way to unwind and enjoy the sun, sand, and sea. However, what happens when that perfect day turns into a nightmare due to an injury? Whether it is a slip and fall or a sports injury, beachgoers could get hurt in ways they never imagined.
If you were injured on the beach, our Boca Raton vacation injury lawyers at Leifer & Ramirez can help. Reach out to our office to discuss liability in your particular case.
Common Types of Beach Injuries
Before discussing liability, let’s take a quick look at the common types of beach injuries. These injuries include:
- Sunburn
- Heat exhaustion
- Jellyfish stings and bites
- Burns from hot sand
- Stingray stings
- Cuts and lacerations from shells and rocks
Some of these injuries, like sunburn and jellyfish bites, are relatively minor, while others could result in severe injuries.
Types of Accidents on the Beach
Let’s review the types of accidents that can happen on the beach. These include:
- Drowning. This is the most significant risk on the beach, especially when people are not cautious in the water or ignore warning signs. Children are at the highest risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more kids ages one to four die from drowning than any other cause.
- Sharks. Though rare, shark attacks can happen, especially in certain areas.
- Glass and litter. Broken glass, cans, and other litter left on the beach can cause serious injuries to barefoot beachgoers.
- Third-party violence. Fights between groups of people on the beach, or even unprovoked attacks, can lead to injuries.
- Sports injuries. Beach volleyball, football, and other sports played on the beach can lead to serious injuries, especially if the rules and players’ equipment are incompetently monitored.
Liability will depend on the type and circumstances of the accident on the beach.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Beach Injury?
After suffering an injury on the beach, the question of who is liable immediately comes to mind. So, who can you hold responsible for your injury? Typically, if your injury results from someone else’s negligence, the liable party could be the beach owner, a lifeguard, the party that caused the harm, an employee, or the manufacturer of equipment involved in the accident, among others.
For example, if you slip and fall due to the worn-out, slippery surface of a beach walkway that had no warning signs, the beach owner could be held accountable if they knew of the dangerous walkway surface and failed to fix it or put prominent hazard signs. However, suppose your injury resulted from something beyond anyone’s control, such as a freak wave or severe weather. In that case, it would be challenging to hold someone accountable.
Each Case Is Unique
There are instances where determining liability can be more complex. For example, if an injury occurred outside regular beach hours when the beach was theoretically “closed,” determining who was liable could be challenging. Since each case is unique, you might want to discuss your situation with an experienced lawyer.
Discuss Liability with a Lawyer
Enjoying what the beach has to offer is something many of us love to do. However, accidents can happen at any time, and the effects could be severe. If you or someone you love suffered injuries on the beach, reach out to Leifer & Ramirez to discuss liability during a free consultation. Call 561-660-9421 today.
Source:
cdc.gov/drowning/facts/index.html
