Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
At least one woman was taken to the hospital, and another person was injured after a boat crashed into a Florida Keys channel over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to local media.
The crash happened Sunday, July 5, around 3:20 p.m., reporters with The Miami Herald said. The vessel that the two were on crashed into the Harris Gap Channel Bridge on Sugarloaf Key. At least one other person was aboard the vessel at the time of the crash and was injured, according to Local 10 News.
The woman, whose name has not been released as of Monday, July 6, was taken to a hospital on the mainland for treatment. A spokesperson for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) told reporters that she had non-life-threatening injuries. It is unclear whether the second person required transport to a local hospital.
This crash is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Additional details, including who was driving, were not immediately available.
Leesfield & Partners: 50 Years in Monroe County
In Florida, sparkling waters and barbecues are the “sine qua non” of a successful Fourth of July celebration. What cannot be missing from the equation, however, is safety. While the investigation into this most recent incident is ongoing, one thing remains certain: recreational water activities can have severe consequences if not undertaken with proper safety precautions.
As a personal injury law firm with decades of experience representing injured clients and their grieving families in a myriad of water-related cases throughout the state, Leesfield & Partners understands just how dangerous the water can be. From inexperienced jet ski guides to terrifying crashes and/or equipment error, our skilled trial attorneys have seen just about every injury that can occur on Florida waters.
With offices in coastal cities such as Key West and Miami, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has long maintained that increased education and safety are key to preventing such tragedies.
“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.”
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
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.
The area with the highest number of incidents was Monroe County. At least one person died in the area in 2025 and 56 others were injured.
Ongoing Boating Matters
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 Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II.
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.
Previous Boating 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.
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.
