Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Usually, fights and “road rage” are things heard about on land, but, on Monday, Sept. 28, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called out to an island off the Everglades to stop it from happening on the water.
The incident occurred after a Coast Guard crew called for deputies at around 8:15 p.m. when a violent fight between a man and a woman on a sailboat broke out, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The incident took place off Cape Sable near Monroe County’s mainland.
Police later found out that a 42-year-old woman hired a boat captain, 51, to maneuver her sailboat, which allegedly measured between 30 to 35 feet, through the Keys. At one point during the trip, the two began arguing before it escalated to physical blows, police told reporters. Both the woman and the captain were charged with misdemeanor battery charges and have since posted bail. They each had non-life-threatening injuries that were “consistent with being in such a fight,” the newspaper reported.
Additional details, including bond amounts or what started the argument, were not immediately available.
Typically, when multiple law enforcement agencies are called out to one location, it means that a person or group needed rescue or that there was a tragedy out on the water. Thankfully, neither person in this incident suffered from serious injuries, however, it could have been much more serious.
In decades of representing the victims of maritime accidents, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know just how quickly a placid day on the water can turn deadly. From unexpected weather conditions, equipment malfunctions, inexperienced boaters, and reckless vessel operators, there is much that can go wrong. In five decades of handling these types of cases, our attorneys have worked diligently to secure the best possible outcome for injured individuals and grieving families.
Leesfield & Partners: Representing Victims of Water Tragedies for 50 Years
Maritime activities are a serious matter. It is important to stay up to date on the latest safety information, to obtain boating and water safety training, and to maintain safety equipment so that you are prepared in case of an emergency. Most boaters involved in fatal boating accidents, however, do not do this. In data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, it was revealed that over 80% of boaters involved in these tragic incidents had no formal boater’s education. In 2025, there were 694 reportable boating accidents in the state. These crashes resulted in the deaths of 51 people and injury to nearly 400 others.
Monroe County, where Leesfield & Partners has maintained an office since at least the 1980s, was the area in the state with the highest number of boating accidents. This much has been true for the area for the last several years, the data shows.
These numbers paint a very clear picture of the dangers out on the water and that more needs to be done to ensure stricter penalties for reckless boaters who endanger the lives of their passengers and others out on the water. In five decades, Founder and Managing Partner Ira Leesfield has routinely been an outspoken safety advocate for vigilance on the water.
“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 2025, when Lucy’s Law went into effect, imposing stricter penalties for boaters who flee the scene of a crash and strengthening boater education requirements statewide, Partner Justin B. Shapiro applauded the effort.
“I think these are long overdue changes,” he said. “We have seen far too many fatalities and grievous injuries from boating crashes over the years.”
Ongoing Boating Cases
Leesfield & Partners attorneys handle numerous tragic and preventable boating cases every year. Mr. Shapiro and Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a water tubing accident.
Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane are representing a young girl who was enrolled in a South Florida summer camp when her leg was lacerated and nearly amputated by a boat propeller.
Leesfield & Partners is also representing those affected by the tragic sailboat-barge crash in Miami on July 28, including 13-year-old Erin Ko, who tragically died, and 7-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, who survived.
That case is being handled by Mr. Shapiro. Mr. Shane, and Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II.
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.
