At least four people were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Marathon, Florida, Sunday.
Th incident happened about 11 miles off the coast around 5 p.m. when a distress signal reached the U.S. Coast Guard. A crew was sent out to find the 27-foot, sinking vessel and its four passengers.
Additional information including what caused the boat to sink or whether anyone was injured were not immediately available Monday.
Boating Stats from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
In nearly five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has handled hundreds of water-related incidents that have resulted in severe injuries and death. In a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report released each year showcasing data on crashes investigated by the law enforcement agency, it was revealed that Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties had the highest number of boating incidents in the state. In all, Florida had 659 reportable incidents in 2023, the year of the most current data available. The most common cause of these crashes was a collision with a fixed object.
In Monroe County, the county with the highest incidents overall and where Leesfield & Partners has one of three Florida offices, there were about 87 accidents on the water. In those crashes, three people were killed and 62 others were injured.
Leesfield & Partners
With a strong history of representing victims of boating incidents and their families throughout Florida, Leesfield & Partners has seen just about every incident that can take place on the water. From negligent boating to tour companies that do not adequately warn tourists about the dangers in the area, Leesfield & Partners have tenaciously pursued the best possible outcome for injured clients.
One case handled by the firm involves the devastating death of a family’s 20-year-old daughter. The young woman in that case was one of several passengers aboard a boat driven at night by a boater who was drinking and recklessly speeding. When the boat hit a concrete dock, our client’s daughter and at least several of the other passengers were ejected from the vessel.
Leesfield & Partners secured $1,325,000 for the grieving family in that case.
In a crash involving a jet ski and a boat, Leesfield & Partners secured $935,000.
The firm secured $800,000 for the injured party in a boating incident at a foreign resort.
A drowning incident that involved a Florida boat tour company resulted in a six-figure settlement for the grieving family.
In another crash that caused serious injuries, Leesfield & Partners attorneys were able to secure $500,000 for the injured client.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Lawyer, recently secured the maximum, capped settlement for the family of a young lobster diver and father-to-be. The man in that case was killed when a law enforcement officer did not adhere to divers down flag laws.
Leesfield & Partners secured a substantial settlement for a minor whose leg had to be amputated in a boating incident.
Jet Ski Accidents
In a recent article penned by Justin B. Shapiro, a Partner and Trial Lawyer at the firm, it was concluded that jet ski incidents produced the most fatalities and injuries than any other recreational water activity accident seen at Leesfield & Partners. Despite these personal watercrafts being marketed as easy to maneuver, there is quite a bit of knowledge and strength required in order to operate them safely. This, combined with uncertain weather conditions, can make for disastrous outcomes if not properly handled.
Jet ski rental companies are a booming business in the Florida Keys, with dozens of beachside shacks operating throughout the string of islands at any given time. Tourists flock to these stands where jet skiers with perfect tans grin on signs and pamphlets. Leesfield & Partners, however, has seen time and time again how these companies fail in their duty to ensure that their patrons can maneuver these watercrafts and that they have understood the safety briefings they are required to give before a ride. The result often involves catastrophic injury to the very customers they were meant to protect.
Leesfield & Partners secured over $2.8 million for a woman who was killed as the result of a jet ski company’s negligence.
Another incident involving the personal watercrafts resulted in over $1.6 million secured by the firm for their injured client.
Leesfield & Partners previously secured a $1 million recovery for a client against a jet ski company following a crash.
In the last six years alone, the firm has secured a total of over $10 million for those injured in jet ski incidents throughout Florida.