Two families have filed lawsuits in a March St. Petersburg boat crash that resulted in a wrongful death case of a 15-year-old boy, according to reporting from local news outlets.
The crash happened near Bayshore Blvd in Shore Acres in St. Petersburg after a family get-together in which at least two boys went for an afternoon boat ride. Both boys were thrown into the water after the 18-foot vessel slammed into a concrete dock. They were taken to the hospital where one of them later died from his injuries. The other, the one who was driving the boat that day, had non-life-threatening injuries.
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed last week, claims that the parents of the boy who was driving the boat the day of the crash purchased the vessel for him and allowed him to routinely use it without supervision and without ensuring that the teens were not taking alcohol on board. It goes on to allege that the boy told good Samaritans who pulled him out of the water that, at the time of the crash, he was looking down at his phone to change the music.
The attorney of the deceased boy’s family told reporters that they are not accusing anyone of being drunk the day of the crash but that they do believe alcohol and distracted driving played a role in the crash.
On Monday, the family of the boy who was driving the vessel filed a suit in federal court to limit any potential damages they may be ordered to pay to the value of the boat or $50,000.
Information about whether the 15-year-old boy who was driving the boat had his boating safety ID card or had completed a formal boater’s education course was not immediately available Wednesday.
The teen driving the boat on the day of the crash has not been criminally charged, according to local reporting. This case remains under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
What does Florida Law Have to Say?
The rules regarding minors operating vessels are outlined in Ch. 327 and Ch. 328 of the Florida Statutes. In Florida, there is no minimum age requirement to operate a boat on state waters, however, personal watercraft and boating safety requirements have age specifications that apply, according to the FWC. Operating a personal watercraft or jet ski must be done so by someone 14 years old and older. Renters of personal watercrafts or jet skis must be at least 18 years old. Anyone found to be allowing someone under 14 years old to operate a personal watercraft or jet ski is guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor.
Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1988, must complete a boating education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) or pass an equivalent examination. When operating a vessel of 10 horsepower or more, the person driving the boat must carry their photo ID along with a boating education ID card.
In 2023, there were 659 reportable accidents on Florida waters. About 182 of these accidents involved a crash with a fixed object, the leading type of accident that accounts for approximately 28% of all crashes in Florida. There were 59 deaths in the state resulting from boating crashes and 408 injuries, according to the data from the FWC.
About 73,120 Boating Safety Education ID Cards were administered in 2023. The data estimates that 83% of all the fatal crashes involved boating operators with no formal boater’s education.
Leesfield & Partners: 48 Years Representing Clients Injured on Florida Waters
Florida is the state in the U.S. with the most registered recreational boats. As of May 2024, the state has logged over a million registered vessels. This number accounts for over 8% of all registered vessels in the country and, according to the FWC, Florida is considered the “Boating Capital of the World.” With so many boats on the water, comes the increase in possible injuries.
Leesfield & Partners has over four decades of experience representing clients from Key West, Miami and Orlando in devastating crashes on the water.
One case involved the horrific death of a minor who was snorkeling on Memorial Day when he was hit by a boat driven by a 6th-grader going full speed. The boy who was snorkeling had a divers-down flag prominently displayed to warn boaters of his presence in the water. When divers-down flags are out in Florida, boaters must stay at least 300 feet away when in open water and at least 100 feet away in rivers, inlets, or navigation channels.
Tragically, the teen boater did not resulting in the young diver being fatally struck by the propeller. The teen driver then went home, attempted to cover up the evidence and later lied to police. Neighbors testified in the case that the teen driver was known to previously operate the boat recklessly and dangerously.
The case was settled by Leesfield & Partners attorneys for $1.7 million.
The family of a 20-year-old woman who was ejected from a boat when its driver crashed into a concrete dock at night was represented by Leesfield & Partners. Attorneys with the firm were able to establish that not only was the driver speeding in dark conditions that yielded low visibility on the water, but the driver had also been drinking.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured a settlement with multiple defendants of over $1 million for the young woman’s family.
Another case handled by the firm involved a boating accident that caused significant injury and the amputation to a minor’s leg. Due to the negligent supervision of boating activities, Leesfield & Partners was able to secure a substantial settlement for the injured client.
If you or a loved one was involved in a Florida boat crash, don’t wait. Call Leesfield & Partners attorneys today for a free consultation at 800-836-6400.