A crash on the water is not like a crash on the road. The law that decides your case depends on who was hurt and where it happened — and that one fact can change everything. As a Fort Lauderdale boating accident lawyer, Robert DiStefano sorts out which law applies and fights to get you paid.
If you were hurt on the water near Fort Lauderdale, a boating accident lawyer's first job is not to argue your case — it is to figure out which set of rules controls it. The deck of a vessel, the open ocean, and a busy inland channel can each fall under a different body of law. A recreational boater rear-ended on the Intracoastal is governed by different rules than a deckhand hurt on a working charter. Get that wrong and you can blow a deadline or sue under the wrong law.
Water cases pull from three places at once: federal maritime law, a special federal statute called the Jones Act for crew members, and Florida's own boating laws for recreational vessels. Some claims even reach into international waters, where yet another rule takes over. Most lawyers rarely touch any of this. We do.
We handle the full range of on-water injuries: cruise-ship falls and assaults, dive-boat and snorkel-charter incidents, fishing and sunset-charter crashes, personal-watercraft (jet ski) collisions, propeller strikes, and wrongful-death cases offshore. Whatever happened, we start by answering the threshold question — who was hurt, and where — and build from there.
There is no single "boat-accident law." The right path depends on whether you were crew or a passenger, and whether you were in state waters, federal waters, or far offshore. These are the four most common.
46 U.S.C. § 30104 (Jones Act)
If you worked aboard a vessel — a deckhand, mate, captain, or charter crew — the Jones Act lets you sue your employer for negligence. The standard is friendlier to you than a normal injury case: even a small share of employer fault can support recovery. Crew also get "maintenance and cure," meaning daily living costs and medical care while you heal, no matter who was at fault.
General maritime law
Cruise passengers, charter guests, and others hurt on navigable water usually fall under general maritime law — federal common law built by the courts. It covers unseaworthy (unsafe) vessels, slip-and-falls on a deck, and crew negligence. Cruise tickets often shorten your deadline and force the case into one specific court, so the fine print matters.
Death on the High Seas Act
If a loved one died on the open ocean — generally more than three nautical miles out, in the Atlantic offshore waters east of Fort Lauderdale — the Death on the High Seas Act controls the claim. It is a narrow federal law with its own rules on who may recover and what damages are allowed. It does not work like a Florida wrongful-death case, so the early strategy is critical.
Fla. Stat. Chapter 327 · § 327.33
Crashes on Florida's inland and near-shore waters — the Intracoastal, the New River, local channels — are governed by Florida's boating laws. Section 327.33 makes reckless operation of a vessel illegal: weaving through traffic, speeding in a no-wake zone, or operating with willful disregard for safety. A reckless-operation finding can be powerful proof of fault in your injury claim.
This page provides general information about Florida law and is not legal advice. Statutes and case law change; your specific case requires a consultation.
Fort Lauderdale is one of the busiest boating cities in the country. Where your crash happened often decides which law applies — so local knowledge is not a nicety here, it is the case.
The same collision can be a Florida case or a federal case depending on a few hundred yards of water. We pin that down first — before the other side does.
You will not be handed off to a rotating cast of junior staff. Robert DiStefano has practiced Florida personal-injury law for more than 40 years and works your file personally — from the first call through settlement or trial. Maritime cases reward that experience, because the threshold question of which law applies has to be answered correctly and early.
We take these cases on contingency: no fee unless we recover for you. Your first case review is free, confidential, and same-day. We front the cost of investigating the wreck — pulling the boating-accident report, finding witnesses before they scatter, and bringing in marine experts when a case calls for it.
This page is about boating and maritime injuries. If your situation is different, we also handle aviation crashes and injuries caused by defective tires and products. See related case results →
Call or send the form. We listen, answer your questions, and give you a candid assessment of whether you have a case — at no cost to you.
We identify whether the Jones Act, general maritime law, the high-seas statute, or Florida boating law controls — then we move fast to lock in evidence.
Medical bills, lost income, pain, and — where the law allows — more. We negotiate hard and are ready to try the case if the offer is not fair.
★★★★★
“The best lawyer in South Florida. Thank you DiStefano for all the hard work that you and your team have done to get me amazing results.”
Taravia Google
★★★★★
“I had a wonderful experience with Robert! He fought hard for me and kept me in the loop the whole time. The whole office is just great!”
Paulavia Google
★★★★★
“Mr. DiStefano is the best! Kept me up to date with everything, and his paralegal Michelle also kept us informed. Happy with my settlement — I highly recommend him.”
Stacy Leevia Google
Free, confidential, same-day case review. No fee unless we recover for you. Reach Robert DiStefano directly — or send a short note and we'll call you back. Visit our contact page →
(954) 572-8000