Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
At least four people were taken to the hospital after a boat hit a channel marker in the Florida Keys Friday afternoon, according to local media.
Emergency responders were called out to the crash around 4:45 p.m. of Tavernier where a boat had hit a channel marker and ejected at least six people. Other boaters in the area helped pull two people from the water, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
At least two of the four people who were injured were taken via helicopter to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami-Dade County and two others were taken to mariners Hospital in Tavernier.
Additional details, including names and the conditions of those involved, were not immediately available.
The crash is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Leesfield & Partners
Operating out of coastal cities like Miami and Key West, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know just how quickly things can change out on the water. From horrific wrecks to intoxicated boating and drowning incidents, our attorneys have handled just about every manner of injury that can occur on Florida waters. Our skilled trial attorneys know just how taxing and confusing navigating the legal system can be and they handle every case with the compassion and tenacity necessary to secure the best possible outcome on behalf of injured clients and grieving families.
As a part of the firm’s public safety advocacy, safety tips and memos are regularly shared on the firm’s digital board outside of its Miami office, which is situated on South Dixie Highway and is passed by hundreds of commuters every day. Additionally, the firm contributed annually via its Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield’s, charitable foundation – The Leesfield Family Foundation.
“The dangers from boating incidents are entirely underestimated as South Florida becomes more congested, drinking on the water becomes more prevalent and distractions from cell phones and other devices increases,” he said. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
In 2024, the year with the latest available data, there were 685 reportable boating incidents that resulted in 81 deaths and nearly 400 injuries. This data comes from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s annual boating report. The data showed that about 65% of boaters involved in fatal accidents had not received formal boating education — underscoring the importance of safety awareness on the water.
The firm has several ongoing cases involving boating accidents in the state.
Leesfield & Partners is handling an ongoing case in which an 11-year-old girl was similarly injured when her leg was sliced by a vessel being operated by a summer camp counselor.
The case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane.
“We’re starting to see this kind of carelessness creep into what should be the safest kind of boating activities, and that would be summer camps and children’s programs,” Mr. Shapiro told local media in a recent interview. “And it has to stop. To make sure this never happens to any other child.”
Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Evan Robinson are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a water tubing accident.
Mr. Shapiro and Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing the family of Erin Ko, 13, who died in a tragic sailboat-barge crash in July while participating in a sailing summer camp. Erin was one of three children who passed away when the sailboat the children were on was hit by a barge carrying a crane and other construction supplies.
The barge in that case was being pulled by a tugboat and, on Thursday, Oct. 30, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it was recommending manslaughter charges be brought against the operators of the tugboat involved in the crash.
Calena Areyan Gruber, 7, was also aboard the sailboat on the day of the tragic crash. She suffered severe emotional and physical injuries as a result and thankfully survived. She is also being represented by Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Shane.
Previous Cases
Previously, the firm secured a substantial settlement in a case involving a minor who lost a leg while not being supervised on a vessel.
The firm previously handled the case of a family whose young son was snorkeling when he was hit and killed by a passing boater. The boater in that case was also a minor who should never have been given permission to operate the vessel without supervision. Not only did this minor not stop, but he attempted to cover up evidence and lied to police when questioned.
Neighbors later testified that this minor regularly operated the boat in a reckless manner.
The firm represented the family of a young woman, 20, who tragically died when the vessel she was on crashed into a concrete dock. The firm secured over $1.3 million for the family when it was revealed that the boat operator had been drinking and speeding the night of the crash.
In a jet ski and boat crash, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $935,750 for their client.
In a boat case involving a foreign resort, the firm secured an $800,000 recovery for the injured client.
Another boating accident involving a negligent operator resulted in a $500,000 recovery.
In addition to boating accident litigation, Leesfield & Partners have represented the victims of various water-related accidents, including drownings, jet ski crashes, parasailing, and other recreational activities.
The firm represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a boat tour at the Dry Tortugas National Park. The company’s tour guides instructed the man where he should go to snorkel and, within minutes, his body was found unresponsive.
The firm secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Mr. Pimentel represented the family of a young man and father-to-be who was lobster diving when he was killed by a law enforcement officer who negligently failed to adhere to divers-down flag laws.
