Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Authorities with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that they found the body of a missing boater after a two-day-long search.
The man, Benjamin Goodman, 35, launched a boat onto the Choctawhatchee Bay in the Florida Panhandle near Destin Tuesday. After his boat began taking on water, submerging the stern, he called his wife for help. During the call, the police say Goodman told his wife he planned to use a bucket to manually bail water from the vessel and stay afloat. She called the authorities who began searching for him and found the boat Tuesday evening, its bow peeking above the water.
“His brother and other family members have spent every moment possible since Tuesday night trying to locate Ben who, they say, grew up on the bay and loved being on the water,” The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said in an announcement via X Thursday afternoon.
Additional information, including where Goodman was found, was not immediately available Friday morning.
Leesfield & Partners
Florida’s sparkling waters attract tourists by the thousands each year and are beloved by locals, but the ocean can also pose significant dangers. Sudden currents, protective marine life, unpredictable weather conditions and other, inexperienced boaters have all proven to be hazards on the water. In nearly five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have represented victims and their grieving families through devastating incidents on the water including boat crashes, jet ski incidents and drownings. With three offices in places like Miami-Dade County, Key West and Orlando, our firm understands just how often these incidents can take place, earning the state a reputation as the “boat crash capital of the world.”
In an annual boating report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, data showed that there were 659 reportable boating accidents in 2023. The leading cause of these incidents was a crash with a fixed object. This type of crash accounted for over 180 crashes in 2023. Towed watersport activities resulted in four accidents, injuring at least five people. There were 15 crashes involving canoes, kayaks, rowboats and paddleboards in which seven people were killed. All seven fatalities involved either kayakers or canoers.
In all, there were 59 fatalities in 2023 and over 400 injuries. The data showed that over 80% of the boaters involved in these crashes had no formal boater’s education.
The areas with the most crashes were Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties. Monroe County had the highest crash rate overall with 87 total accidents, three fatalities and 62 injuries.
Previous Cases
Leesfield & Partners secured a seven-figure, confidential settlement for the family of a woman killed when the boat she was on crashed into a concrete dock. She was thrown overboard in the incident along with several other passengers and was airlifted to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.
An investigation by the firm’s attorneys revealed that not only was the operator of the boat speeding at night where visibility is low, but he had also been drinking.
Recently, the firm filed a wrongful death lawsuit for the agonizing death of our client’s 24-year-old son. In that case, our client’s son was on a boat with several other people for a day of drinking. The operator of the boat – whose blood-alcohol levels were more than twice the legal limit – sped back to the marina at night in the heavy rain, disregarding the safety of all his passengers. As the vessel approached Channel Market Number 20 in the Intracoastal Waterway, it crashed at 45 mph. Our client’s son was flung from the boat and hit a metal rod that impaled his skull, killing him.
Justin B. Shapiro, a Partner and Trial Lawyer at the firm, is handling the ongoing case.
In a devastating parasailing incident in the Florida Keys that involved the deaths of two young people, Leesfield & Partners secured $17 and $15 million for their families.
Jet Ski Incidents
When compared to incidents this firm has seen on the water involving recreational water activities, jet skis have proven to be the most hazardous, causing more injuries and deaths than any other sport on the water. In over five years, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have secured over $10 million in awards for injured clients and their families involved in jet ski accidents. While these machines are often marketed as though they are easy to maneuver, they are not and, when driven by an inexperienced operator, it can prove catastrophic.
Leesfield & Partners previously handled the wrongful death case of a woman who was killed by a French-speaking tourist while using rented jet skis. It is the company’s responsibility to ensure that all their patrons understand safety briefings, however, the company involved in this case did not, resulting in the death of our client’s wife.
The firm secured a multi-million settlement for the husband in that case.
Another jet ski case involves that of a family vacationing in the area from California who had booked a jet ski guide. Though the guides were meant to stay by the family, showing them the way and ensuring that they were safe, the two guides regularly sped away from the family, leaving them behind and out of sight to face strong currents and a myriad of other hazards. During the tour, the guides took the family through a narrow bridge opening with a powerful tidal surge, about which they failed to warn the family.
Without any guidance, the father of the family violently crashed into concrete bridge pilings and was severely injured.
Safety Tips
With holidays such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, Leesfield & Partners knows locals and tourists alike will flock to the beach or for days out on the boat. While these days out in the sun can become treasured memories for families, Leesfield & Partners knows that, without the proper preparation and education, they can quickly become a nightmare. That is why with each holiday, the firm displays essential safety tips on its digital sign displayed prominently on U.S. 1 for thousands of drivers to see. Below are several safety tips that may help you and your family stay safe on the water, though boaters should always consult with authorities and safety professionals for the most up-to-date information.
- Never operate a vessel while under the influence.
- Never go out boating without telling someone what area you are headed to and when they can expect you to be back. This is so that, in case of an emergency, someone will know that you did not return and can give rescue teams an area to begin searching for you.
- Take a boating education course.
- Adhere to all boating laws when out on the water, including speed limits.
- Carry life vests approved by the Coast Guard for every person on board. Children should always wear a life vest when on a boat.
- Keep necessary emergency kits on board that include essential items like flare guns, fire extinguishers and first-aid kits.
- Take boater’s education courses regularly to stay up-to-date with the latest safety information.
- Never let children operate a personal watercraft.
