Monroe County, a cluster of islands off Florida’s southern coast, is accustomed to an influx of tourists during events like Halloween, but, this year, the sheriff is emphasizing one priority above all — public safety.
In an advisory posted Monday, Oct. 20, to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office official Facebook page, Sheriff Rick Ramsey noted that the increased crowds in the keys in the week leading up to Halloween might cause traffic and other issues.
“So, look for officers giving you directions, but, more so, look for these kids who dart out of nowhere … ” he said. “Put your phones down, no distracted driving.”
Monroe County has experienced more than 1,200 crashes this year with 12 deaths and over 800 injuries. Of these incidents, 28 have involved pedestrians and at least three pedestrians have died. In 2024, the area had 1,732 crashes with six deaths and more than 1,200 injuries. At least two pedestrians were killed in all from the area’s 60 pedestrian-involved crashes. There were 130 crashes in October of last year.
“Let’s make sure this is a safe and secure holiday for everybody; adults, and, especially, our children in our community,” he said.
Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury law firm with decades worth of experience and local ties to the area, has represented countless motor vehicle crash victims and their families in these devastating incidents. The firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has been a steadfast supporter of public safety, regularly advocating against distracted and impaired driving.
Leesfield & Partners
Car crashes are among some of the most common personal injury claims that come across the desks of attorneys nationwide. Whether involving pedestrians, bicyclists, reckless drivers, those under the influence or faulty road construction, our skilled trial attorneys have seen just about every manner of injury that can occur on Florida roads. These cases have had drastic impacts on the lives of our clients and their families, and our attorneys work tirelessly to return the best possible outcome in every case.
Throughout Florida, the firm has a 49-year track record of securing record verdicts and settlements for those injured in accidents.
One case handled by the firm resulted in over $95 million secured for a young man and his parents following the devastating loss of his sister after a crash with a drunk driver. In that case, the family was headed to the airport to drop off their 23-year-old daughter at the airport for her medical school’s orientation. While on the way, they were hit head-on by a drunk driver speeding the wrong way down I-95.
The family lost their daughter in that devastating crash and their son, then only 21 years old, suffered life-long injuries. As a result, he requires a wheelchair, round-the-clock care, and can no longer speak.
“The result in this case shows what hard work and creative lawyering can do for clients with devastating injuries,” said Ira Leesfield, a board certified attorney and the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. “Along with co-counsel Aaron Davis, we are happy to settle with two defendants and to obtain this record verdict for them.”
This marks the largest verdict in Miami-Dade County history and is the fourth-largest in the state of its kind.
Previous Cases
In the case of a 27-year-old motorcyclist who suffered severe and life-altering injuries due to a defect with his kickstand, the firm obtained a $19.8 million award. As our client was traveling on his motorcycle, the kickstand suddenly engaged, causing it to spin out of control and rendered him a high-level quadriplegic.
Mr. Leesfield spent approximately two decades working on cases in which clients were severely injured or killed because of issues with a motorcycle kickstand, resulting in manufacturing changes that have saved countless lives.
A Key West crash involving a prominent local businessman resulted in a record verdict. In that case, our client had the green light at an intersection when an ambulance at a red light unexpectedly plowed through the road and hit him. In the crash, he was thrown into a cement wall, resulting in permanent injuries.
The ambulance driver claimed he was on his way to an emergency and had the right of way, however, this driver failed to deploy the necessary lights and sirens. Without these indicators, our client had no idea that the ambulance would not stop when at the red light and so he proceeded to cross the intersection.
Recently, Leesfield & Partners filed suit in the case of a man in a wheelchair who was hit by a speeding car. His severe injuries resulted in doctors being forced to amputate his leg. Carlos A. Fabano, a Trial Lawyer with the firm, is handling the ongoing case.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners obtained an $8.5 million settlement following a $27 million arbitration award for the family of a young woman who was killed by a pickup truck driver while attempting to cross the street. The woman, a wife and mother of two, was visiting Florida from her home in Toronto, Canada, when she was crushed by a pickup truck. The driver in that case claimed to not have seen her.
In a case involving a bicyclist who was hit while stopped on the side of the road on the Overseas Highway in Key West, the firm secured a $5,350,000 settlement. In that case, the bicyclist was hit by a driver who was distracted by their car’s GPS.
The firm previously recovered $3 million for a mother and son injured in a bicycle incident.
In a previous case involving a scooter accident, the firm obtained a $1 million award.