Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Police say they have found the boat they believe was involved in a hit-and-run boat crash on Biscayne Bay that killed a father and injured his son last week in Miami, according to local media.
Police did not name the owner of the boat or say who was operating the vessel the night of the deadly crash.
The incident happened on the night of Wednesday, March 25, while the father and son were on a 7-foot dinghy in the Meloy Channel near Indian Creek and Biscayne Point in Biscayne Bay. The two were hit by another vessel, which police later identified as a 20-30-foot boat that is dark blue with black bottom paint.
The father, 55-year-old Davide Veglia, was killed. His son, 14, was taken to the hospital with a broken arm, according to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida.
Leesfield & Partners
In five decades of personal injury law, Leesfield & Partners has handled countless cases in which a person has been injured on the water. From reckless boating or jet ski incidents to parasailing tragedies and more, our skilled trial attorneys handle every case with the compassion and diligence necessary to secure the best possible outcome for every client and hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions.
The lack of enforcement makes the water like “the wild west,” the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, told reporters with NBC 6 in an interview regarding this tragic incident.
“People have to know that the consequences of being reckless on the water are just like the consequences of being reckless on the roads,” he said.
In data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s annual boating accident report, officials found that 65% of operators involved in fatal accidents had no formal boater’s education in 2024. This is the year with the latest, publicly available data. There were approximately 685 incidents on the water in Florida for that year. Of these incidents, at least 81 people died and nearly 400 others were injured. The most common accident type was a collision with a fixed object.
“We offer our sincere condolences to this family as they face this unimaginable loss,” Mr. Leesfield said. “With decades of experience handling maritime and boating injury cases, we know how devastating and preventable tragedies like this can be. No family should have to endure the consequences of a reckless hit-and-run on the water.
Ongoing Boating Matters
Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a 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 horrific sailboat-barge crash in Miami on July 28, including 7-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, who fought to survive.
The firm is also representing the family of 13-year-old Erin Ko, one of the girls who tragically died in the sailboat-barge crash. That case is being handled by Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II.
“My heart goes out to the families of those involved in this most tragic incident,” Mr. Shapiro said. “Very few details have been shared with the public, and it is too early to cast blame on any particular individual or entity. Regardless, it is absolutely clear this is an incident that cannot happen in the absence of negligence, incompetence, or both.”
Previous 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 has 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.
Mr. Pimentel 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.
What to Do Once You’re Home After a Boating Accident
- Follow up on medical care; keep all records and bills
- It is important to prioritize any follow-up medical care and attend all appointments to ensure that you are on the road to recovery. As you do this, it is also important to document your ongoing symptoms and any complications that arise as a result of your injuries.
- Keep these documents up to date. You can keep your own records along with requesting any doctor’s notes, medical records, imaging, bills, and discharge summaries from the hospital. You may want to keep a daily log of pain levels and how the injuries you sustained have impacted your day-to-day activities as well as track all out-of-pocket expenses and losses.
- Write down what happened while it’s fresh
- This can include a timeline of events, what the water was like, who you were with, statements made, and the actions everyone took. As time passes, these details can be muddied, so it is crucial to record it as soon as possible.
- Preserve evidence (photos, damaged gear, vessel condition)
- Collect witness info and get the official accident report
- Notify insurance
- Don’t post about the incident on social media
- Consult a boating/maritime attorney about your options and deadlines
