Miami Boat Accident Attorneys

Representing Victims of Boating & Personal Watercraft Accidents Across Florida

Miami’s waterways are among the busiest in the country—Biscayne Bay, the Miami River, the Intracoastal, Haulover Inlet, and Government Cut see a constant mix of rental Jet Skis, sailboats, charters, and commercial traffic. That complexity is why boating crashes demand a different analysis: injuries are serious, and the rules determining fault aren’t the same as roadway laws. To address those unique risks, Florida’s boating statutes govern safe operation, BUI, and rental livery obligations. Unfortunately, violations of these rules are a common thread in preventable tragedies on our local waters. 

When these tragedies occur, we at Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A. act quickly to preserve evidence—FWC/USCG reports, marina and dock video, GPS/AIS data, and rental paperwork—and apply these laws to prove what happened and who is responsible. From there, we build a case that accounts for your medical needs, lost income, and long-term care. 

Since 1984, we’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients by taking a quality-over-quantity approach. That focus has earned recognition from U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms,” Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and Lawdragon. In 2025, David W. Bianchi was named the Florida ABOTA “Trial Lawyer of the Year,” and our results include an $8 million cruise ship injury recovery. If you were hurt on the water, we’re ready to put that experience to work for you.

If you or a loved one was hurt on the water in Miami, call (305) 770-6335 for a free consultation. 

Types of Miami Boating Cases We Handle

Florida leads the nation with over 1 million registered vessels, crowding the water and raising crash exposure. Layer in Miami’s mix of commercial traffic, charters, rentals, and recreational boaters, and you get a uniquely hazardous environment. In this environment, preventable crashes follow familiar patterns. 

Here are the Miami boating cases we most often investigate and litigate:

• Personal Watercraft Accidents
• Sailboat Accidents
• Accidents Involving Operator Negligence & BUI
• Accidents Involving Rental & Livery Liability 
• Charter & Tour Vessel Accidents
• Accidents Caused by Navigation & Maintenance Failures 

Common Causes of Miami Boat & PWC Accidents

On high-traffic weekends and holidays, Miami’s waterways tighten up fast. Narrow channels, shifting tides, fast afternoon sea breezes, and heavy rental traffic create split-second situations that less-experienced operators aren’t ready for. In that setting, the same fact patterns recur—and they’re often preventable with basic compliance and lookout.

We routinely see the following patterns on local waters:

• Speeding & unsafe wake through no-wake/manatee zones along the Intracoastal and the Rickenbacker Causeway—often as boats rush to or from sandbars—leading to loss of control and collisions near docks and bridges.
• Impaired operation (BUI) after gatherings at Haulover and Nixon Beach, where alcohol and sun exposure reduce reaction time and judgment in already congested corridors.
• Inadequate lookout at channel merges like Government Cut and Bear Cut, and at marina exits such as Dinner Key and Haulover, where crossing traffic and large-vessel wakes demand constant scanning and safe speed.
• Livery negligence such as no safety briefing or on-water demonstration, renting to unqualified or underage users, or releasing vessels without required gear—leading to avoidable PWC and small-craft crashes minutes after departure.
• Sailboat right-of-way errors and boom-strike injuries in gusty afternoon sea-breezes on Biscayne Bay, especially when powerboats misjudge sail vessels’ limited maneuverability under wind.
• Mechanical failures from poor maintenance such as dead batteries, steering or throttle faults, inoperable lights/horns, which results in sudden loss of power or control in busy inlets.

When any of these factors are in play, time is critical. We move immediately to preserve evidence and to identify every accountable party, including operators, rental liveries, owners, manufacturers, and more.

Who Can Be Liable in a Florida Boating Accident?

Depending on the facts, responsibility may extend beyond the person at the helm:

• Operator / Owner for negligent navigation, BUI, lack of required safety gear, or entrusting a vessel to an unfit operator.
• Rental Livery for permitting/instruction failures, illegal rentals to underage or unqualified users, and more.
• Marina / Charter Company for negligent maintenance, inadequate crew training, or unsafe routes.
• Manufacturers & Component Suppliers for defective design (e.g., throttles, steering, rigging, PFDs) or failure to warn.

Call Our Miami Boat Accident Lawyers: (305) 770-6335

At Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A., we’ve built a results-driven practice around select, high-stakes cases. Keeping our caseload intentionally low means every boating case gets the time, attention, and resources it deserves. Our work has been featured by national media, our partners include members of the Lawdragon Hall of Fame, and our verdicts and settlements reflect years of disciplined trial preparation. We’re based in downtown Miami and represent boating accident victims across Florida. Our team is built for complex cases—limited caseloads, 24/7 availability, and the resources to take on rental liveries, vessel owners, manufacturers, and insurers. Review our results, learn who we are, and then call us.

With decades of trial experience and hundreds of millions recovered, you can trust us to protect your future. Start with a free consultation at (305) 770-6335.