Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
The body of a 56-year-old boater who disappeared while watching over a stalled airboat on Florida’s Peace River was found this week, according to local media.
Benton Lindsey, was reported missing Sunday and his body was found a day later, according to officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Lindsey was on the boat with at least one other person who, when the airboat began experiencing mechanical failures, left on land to find help.
The boat drifted down the river and “a series of events led the operator to end up in the water,” FWC officials said.
Authorities searched for Lindsey throughout Sunday afternoon and into the night. His body was found in the water Monday afternoon.
Additional information, including what happened on the boat or who Lindsey was with, were not immediately available Wednesday.
The investigation is ongoing.
Leesfield & Partners
As a personal injury law firm with offices in cities like Orlando, Key West and Miami, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know just how unpredictable a day on the water can be. The firm has handled numerous cases where parties set out on a vessel, imagining nothing more than a fun-filled adventure. Sadly, these events can quickly become a family’s worst nightmare due to sudden changes in the weather, mechanical failures, and/or negligent and reckless boating. In nearly five decades of personal injury law, our skilled trial attorneys have seen just about every manner of injury that can occur on the water.
Leesfield & Partners’ extensive experience in maritime and boating accident law, particularly in South Florida and the Keys, has resulted in numerous record and landmark results throughout the state. In decades of representing boating accident victims and seeing the tolls that these horrific crashes can have on families, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has done what he can to highlight this pressing safety issue. From speaking regularly with the media, to penning articles in legal publications, and publicizing common safety tips, Mr. Leesfield remains a vocal advocate for boating safety and prevention, working to raise awareness and reduce avoidable tragedies on the water.
“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,” Mr. Leesfield said. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
Earlier this month, Lucy’s Law — which aims to create stricter penalties for boaters who are under the influence and leave the scene after being involved in crashes that cause injuries or deaths on the water in Florida — went into effect, a move that Partner Justin B. Shapiro and the attorneys at Leesfield & Partners agree is a step in the right direction.
In a recent interview following the state law, Mr. Shapiro said that the changes were needed, but there is more to do in terms of boating safety in Florida.
“I think these are long overdue changes,” he said. “We have seen far too many fatalities and grievous injuries from boating crashes over the years.”
The firm is currently representing a minor whose leg was sliced by a boat propeller due to the negligence of officials at a Florida summer camp. This case is being led by Mr. Shapiro and Eric Shane, a Trial Attorney at the firm.
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 lie 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.
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.
If you, or someone you know, was involved in a boating accident or other water-related incident in Florida, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 800-836-6400 to see if you may be eligible to make a claim.
