Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
“Florida is the boating capital of the world, but sadly, it is also the boating fatality capital of the world.”
These are the words of Partner Justin B. Shapiro of Leesfield & Partners. With decades of practice representing the injured individuals and grieving families of those involved in some of Florida’s most horrific boating and water-related incidents, our attorneys understand the magnitude of this pressing safety issue. From a young diver and father-to-be whose life was prematurely snuffed out by a negligent boater to the loss of a child’s leg while aboard a vessel, our skilled trial attorneys have seen just about every injury that can occur on the water. With this experience comes an increased vigilance toward the dangers, and the urgency to create positive change.
Last July, when Lucy’s Law—legislation named in honor of 17-year-old Luciana ‘Lucy’ Fernandez, who died in the 2022 Boca Chita boat crash—went into effect, our attorneys applauded the move and saw it as a sign for increased vigilance and safety on the water.
“I think these are long overdue changes,” Mr. Shapiro told reporters at the time. “We have seen far too many fatalities and grievous injuries from boating crashes over the years.”
Ira Leesfield: Important Safety Standards Must be Enforced
While a positive step for boating safety, tragedies on the water continue. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission revealed in their 2025 report—the year with the latest data publicly available—that there were nearly 700 reportable boating accidents for that year with 51 deaths and the injury to 437 people. About 67% of boaters involved in fatal boating accidents for that year had no formal boater’s education.
Monroe County, where Leesfield & Partners has represented countless clients over the decades, was the area with the highest number of accidents and injuries in the state. At least one person died in a 2025 Monroe County boating accident and 56 others were injured.
“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,” said Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
This chart shows reportable boating incidents in Florida from 2021 to 2025, illustrating year-over-year trends in waterway safety. (Data Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
For nearly five decades, Mr. Leesfield and the attorneys at Leesfield & Partners have been strong advocates for sober boating, life jacket use and other critical safety practices to help prevent these tragedies.
Florida made the top 10 states, followed by California and Michigan, with the most fatalities on the water. The most prevalent accident type in 2025 was a collision with a fixed object. This type of accident resulted in a total of 243 collisions.
May was the month with the highest overall number of collisions in the state while March and September were the months with the highest number of fatalities. Alcohol or drug-use is reported to have played a role in about 14% of fatal boating accidents in 2025, FWC officials reported.
Ongoing Boating and Water-Related Incidents
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 sliced 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 and Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II.
Boating Tragedies Handled by Leesfield & Partners
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.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, 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.
