Miami, FL Boating Accident Lawyer

Boating Accident Attorneys Helping Clients Get Real Results in Miami-Dade & All of Southeast Florida

Why Choose Us?

When you’re facing one of the toughest moments of your life, you need more than just a lawyer—you need a trusted ally who will stand with you and fight for your rights.

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What Should I Do After a Boating Accident in Miami?

First things first, take care of yourself and your people. If you or a loved one was injured on the water, here is how to handle the first hours and days:

1. Get medical care immediately. Shock, adrenaline, and sun can mask serious injuries. A quick evaluation also creates the medical record your claim will rely on.
2. Call 911, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), or the U.S. Coast Guard as needed. For emergencies on Biscayne Bay, Miami River, or offshore, request rescue and report the incident.
3. Make a record while events are fresh. If possible, note the location, the operator, the time, and who witnessed the incident. We will take it from there.
4. Do NOT give detailed statements to insurers before speaking with counsel. Insurance adjusters move fast to minimize exposure. We move faster to protect your rights.
5. Follow every doctor’s order. Consistent treatment is good for your recovery, and it keeps the insurer from arguing you are “fine.”
6. Know the reporting timelines. Federal law usually requires accident reporting within 48 hours if there is an injury that needs treatment beyond first aid, a death, or a disappearance, and within 10 days for property-damage-only incidents where damages exceed $2,000 or the boat is destroyed. We can help you report to the right authority and on time.

If you are reading this after getting checked out at the ER or urgent care, you are doing it right. Contact our Miami boating accident attorneys as soon as you can, and we will map out your next steps together.

Real Results

• $3,250,000: Attorneys Jesse Bernheim, Louis Battista, and Dor Scwartz achieved a recovery for the family of a young boater who sdied from blunt-force injuries when an inexperienced captain operated the vessel at a high rate of speed, lleading to a loss of control and ejection of all aboard.

How Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers Can Help You Seek Real Justice

You want a legal team that shows up, cares about your story, keeps you informed every step of the way, and has the negotiation and trial experience to champion your fight. That is Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers.

Our team believes that victims of negligence deserve a supportive ally who can help them get full and fair compensation. Here’s what sets us apart.

• Real Advocates, available when you need us: We build real relationships, we listen, and we act in your best interest. Our bilingual team serves clients across Miami-Dade, so you are heard and understood in your preferred language.
• Real Experience that moves cases forward: Our firm has secured more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients. Our trial lawyers take on powerful companies and do not flinch. Results matter, and so does how we get them.
• Trial-ready right out of the gate: Insurers recognize which firms prepare for court and don’t play games. That recognition often translates to better initial offers, and if they refuse to be fair, we are ready to try your case.
• Personalized strategy, built around you: We create our approach with your needs and goals at the center. Together, and with all the information, we choose the path that serves you best.
• Client-first approach: We coordinate medical care options, protect you from collection pressure, keep you updated, and come to you when you can’t get to us. No surprises, just steady progress.

Real Justice means accountability, fair compensation that reflects your full loss, and a path forward that restores your dignity and peace of mind. That’s our goal for each and every client we serve.

Florida & Federal Boating Laws

You don’t need to be memorizing statutes while you and your family are recovering from this. Our team of boat accident attorneys is knowledgeable and practiced and can handle the legal haul. But it is important to understand the framework we’re working with. Here are the laws that often matter after a Miami boating crash:

• Accident Reporting: As we’ve discussed, federal rules require reports within 48 hours for injury, death, or disappearance, and within 10 days for other reportable incidents above the property-damage threshold. Florida law also requires prompt notification to the FWC, a county sheriff, or local law enforcement.
• Florida’s Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Law: Operating at 0.08 BAC or while impaired is illegal, with escalating penalties for repeat offenses or high BAC.
• Operator Duties & Careless Operation: Florida requires reasonable, prudent operation with proper lookout and safe speed. Violations can be evidence of negligence.
• Rentals & Liveries: Florida’s Boating Safety Act tightened rules for rental outfits. Liveries must hold a no-cost FWC permit, maintain insurance that meets statutory minimums, and provide pre-rental instruction and safety checklists.
• Commercial Parasailing: Operators must have a valid U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) license, carry specific liability insurance, maintain communications and weather monitoring, and follow weather and distance limitations.
• 2025 Boater Freedom Act: Florida limited random safety stops by FWC without probable cause and introduced a voluntary safety decal program. The USCG can still conduct safety inspections.

Florida boating law and federal admiralty law can apply to the same crash. Some claims proceed under Florida law; many on Biscayne Bay, the Miami River, or offshore are governed by admiralty. That can change what you must prove, who can be sued, the damages available, and the filing deadline. We sort all this out so you can focus on what’s important to you: healing, your family, and your future.

What Types of Boating Accident Cases Do We Handle?

From Biscayne Bay and Government Cut to the Miami River, Haulover Inlet, and Monument Island, here are the many different types of Miami-Dade boating cases we handle:

• Boat-to-boat collisions
• Jet Ski & other personal watercraft accidents (including rentals)
• Charter, party-boat & tour-boat injuries
• Accidents involving working boats, ferries, or water taxis
• Cruise ship & shore-excursion injuries
• Marina & dock accidents
• Crashes in busy waterways
• Propeller or jet-intake injuries, ejections & falls overboard
• Groundings or striking docks, pilings, or channel markers
• Carbon monoxide exposure, onboard fires & explosions

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Who Can Be Held Liable?

Every crash has its own specific circumstances. In some cases, liability can be a bit of a puzzle. Here are some of the parties who could be responsible for your damages:

• Operators who speed, fail to keep a proper lookout, violate navigation rules, or operate while impaired.
• Vessel owners for negligent entrustment or negligent maintenance. Florida generally places civil liability on the operator, not the absent owner, but ownership and presence can still matter.
• Rental liveries that skip safety briefings, rent to unqualified operators, or put unseaworthy vessels on the water.
• Charter companies and tour operators under negligence or maritime common-carrier duties.
• Manufacturers and suppliers for design or manufacturing defects.
• Marinas for hazardous premises.
• Maintenance providers for negligent repair.
• Government entities for dangerous conditions or negligent operation by public employees, subject to special notice and damages limits.

How We Prove Liability

We obtain official reports from FWC, police, or USCG, analyze GPS and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data when available, gather witness accounts, retain marine reconstruction experts, and build a medical and economic picture that is impossible to ignore.

Compensation for Miami Boat Accident Victims

Depending on the specifics of your case, you may be eligible to recover:

• Medical costs past & future
• Lost wages & diminished earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, mental anguish & loss of enjoyment
• Scarring & disfigurement
• Property loss & repair
• Wrongful death damages, in the event of the tragic loss of a family member

We tailor our strategy to your story, your needs, and your goals. Some clients want the fastest safe resolution, others want their day in court. Our team of Miami boating accident attorneys makes sure you understand your options and works with you to choose the path that serves you best.

Over $1 Billion

In Settlements & Verdicts

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How Much Time Do I Have to File a Boating Accident Claim in Miami?

Statutes of limitations vary with the details of your claim and where and how it must be filed. The law sets strict deadlines, and missing one can limit or even end your ability to seek compensation. We will confirm your timeline, handle the filings on time, and protect your rights while you focus on healing.

• Florida negligence claims generally have a 2-year statute of limitations for incidents on or after March 24, 2023.
• Maritime claims often carry a 3-year federal deadline.
• Claims against government entities require written notice to the agency and sometimes the Department of Financial Services, and a 180-day investigation period before suit.

Even if a deadline seems far away, building a strong claim and pivoting as new facts arise can eat up that time quickly. Contact us as soon as possible to schedule a FREE case review, and let’s get started on the path to Real Justice.

Top Causes of Miami Boat Accidents

South Florida’s waters are busy, beautiful, and unforgiving. The FWC identifies the leading accident types and causes, which line up with what we see in Miami-Dade:

• Collision with fixed objects and other vessels remains the most common accident type
• Operator inattention and improper lookout are frequent primary causes
• Operator inexperience and excessive speed increase risk, especially around congested sandbars and cuts
• Falls overboard are a leading factor in fatal incidents, often tied to drowning and lack of life jacket use
• Alcohol use raises the chance of severe outcomes, and BUI enforcement applies on the water

Common Boating Accident Injuries

Boating accidents can cause a wide range of injuries. Some people walk away with little more than some painful cuts and bruises; others suffer catastrophic trauma. In Miami-Dade, we regularly see injuries like these:

• Traumatic brain injury & concussion
• Spinal injuries & herniated discs
• Internal organ damage
• Fractures
• Shoulder & knee injuries
• Severe lacerations
• Amputations
• Burns & inhalation injuries from fires or explosions
• Drowning & near-drowning hypoxia
• Hypothermia
• Psychological trauma

We will document the full extent of your injuries and the impact they’ve had on your life and the lives of those around you. Insurers will try to minimize what you’re going through, but we won’t let them. You deserve nothing less than full and fair compensation.

– you are in good hands!

“Bernheim Kelly have a group of Lawyers, who acted very professional with my case. The whole staff was very polite and during the whole proceeding I was given the assurance that they were working in my best interest. At the end I was very satisfied with the result. They are a dynamic team.”

Ranford T

“Alicia and Robert took great care me. They keep me updated throughout the process and made it easy for me to understand everything. 10/10 highly recommended.”

Amanda S

“Very grateful for everything BK thank you.”

Jonathan C

“Robert and Alicia has been a great help with my case.”

Henry M

“I am so happy I was recommended to this law firm everyone there is so nice and welcoming they on time with everything Brooke E. Perez and Adriana Delgado was Amazing. I can’t forget Barbara Lee she to was awesome Plus the office is beautiful I wish they had a sleepover I will pack a bag and spend the Night Lol I’m Comedian Dingbatt and I Approve this message they deserve 100 Stars if you ask me.”

William C

“I had a wonderful experience with this team. They consistently kept me informed about the progress of my case and always made me feel like a priority. Their professionalism and dedication truly stood out. Thank you, Dor Schwartz and Sandra Baker—you were both outstanding!”

Daisy P

“Robert and Alicia were a great team and really helped me out when I was involved in a car accident. Their communication throughout the process was outstanding and they always kept me informed every step of the way. I highly recommend hiring Bernheim Kelley when you’re in need of an accident attorney! I cannot thank them enough for all their help!”

Thomas T

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Real Advocacy. Real Results. Real Hope.

The waters of Miami offer sunshine, salt air, and time with the people you love. When that peace is shattered, and you’re left facing hospital bills, pain, and questions that keep you up at night, you need a trusted ally to champion your rights.

At Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers, we Keep It Real. We listen, explain your options, offer compassionate support, and carry the legal load while you heal. That is Real Advocacy on the path to Real Justice.

Contact Our Miami Boating Accident Attorneys for a FREE Consultation

Have you been injured in a boating accident in Miami? Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers is here to help you get the compensation you need to move forward with hope.

Call 305-617-1111 or contact us online today to get started. Your initial consultation is FREE, and we don’t get paid until you do. Our Miami boating accident lawyers serve clients in Aventura, Hialeah, Coral Gables, and throughout Southeastern Florida.