Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Community members throughout the Florida Keys are rallying together to support a house fire relief fund after a tragic fire displaced two law enforcement officers this week, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Facebook re-post.
The incident occurred Thursday, May 7 and involved the home of Mike Pettee and Tiffany Rodda. Pettee is an officer for the Key West Police Department and Rodda is a deputy with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
“In a matter of moments, everything they worked so hard to build was gone,” community members wrote in an update to the couple’s GoFundMe, an online fundraising platform.
Both Pettee and Rodda were at home with their pets when the fire broke out and had to jump from a window to escape to safety. They suffered second-degree burns and were taken to a hospital in Miami for treatment. Tragically, their two dogs died in the blaze.
“Together, Mike and Tiffany are raising five children,” the fundraiser update read. “Thankfully, the children were not home at the time of the fire, but they are now facing the heartbreaking reality that everything they knew has changed overnight.”
In January, the community similarly rallied behind the family of a single father who narrowly escaped a house fire with his children. In that case, the father was at the home where he lives with his mother and children because his kids were out of school for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Florida House Fires
House fires claim the lives of hundreds of Floridians every year and remain a serious danger that should be considered. While no amount of preparation can entirely shield families or individuals from these such tragedies, landlords, management companies and homeowners alike should take the necessary step to ensure that they and their guests are safe from potential incidents. Parents should regularly speak with their children about fire safety and come up with a fire safety plan that includes a safe meeting spot, and how to properly evacuate a fire.
Landlords and rental management companies must ensure that all electrical issues are properly and timely addressed and that there are no hindrances that would prevent their tenants from being able to safely escape a blaze should the unthinkable occur. Additionally, they must ensure that all smoke detectors and alert systems are in proper working order. Fire extinguishers should be kept near kitchens, outdoor fire pits and barbecues.
Fire Safety Tips
Even the most prepared and diligent families can become the victims of a tragic fire. Knowing what to do in case of an emergency can mean the difference between life and death.
Below are only some fire safety tips that may help you and your family should you ever find yourselves in a fire emergency. This is not an exhaustive list, and everyone should defer to fire personnel and other emergency responders for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
- Come up with a fire safety plan that everyone in the household can remember. This plan should include a meeting spot that is a safe distance away from the home so that everyone knows where to go once they have escaped in case you are separated by the flames.
- Ensure that all smoke detectors are in working order.
- Never allow children to play with household items such as matches, candles or lighters.
- Educate your family about the dangers of fire
- If a fire breaks out in your home, escape immediately and call 911. Never attempt to put out the fire yourself or to
- Always keep fire extinguishers on hand near kitchens, outdoor fire pits and barbecues.
- Always stay in the kitchen while cooking as stoves that are left unattended can become fire hazards.
- Extinguish candles before leaving a room.
- Never smoke in bed and keep flammable materials like curtains away from heat sources.
- Take a fire safety course with your family to ensure that everyone gets the most up-to-date information regarding fires.
Leesfield & Partners
As a personal injury law firm with 49 years of experience handling such incidents for individuals and their grieving families, Leesfield & Partners knows just how quickly and ferociously a fire can spread. Our skilled trial attorneys have handled tragic cases, including burns, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide exposure at the hands of negligent corporations and individuals.
At Leesfield & Partners, we approach every case with the compassion, tenacity and knowledge of the law to secure the best possible outcome for every client. Throughout the decades, Leesfield & Partners has obtained numerous record and landmark verdicts for victims and families from offices throughout the state in cities like Key West, Miami and Orlando. This work has earned the firm both statewide and national recognition as a trusted authority committed to holding those in power accountable
Previous Cases
Leesfield & Partners previously handled a case involving the fire deaths of a mother and her two children. The three had become trapped in a blaze that broke out at their rental home, which was caused by a defective electrical outlet. Despite previously notifying their landlord about difficulty opening windows, the issue went unaddressed. On the day of the fire, the mother and children were unable to open the windows to escape and perished.
Trial Attorney Eric Shane secured a multi-million-dollar settlement for a client who was burned in an electrocution case.
In an explosion case that started from a spark aboard a cargo ship, Leesfield & Partners secured a substantial award for clients who were badly burned.
For a couple celebrating their honeymoon, what was meant to be the start of their happy life together soon became a nightmare after an improperly capped pipe caused an explosion at their accommodation. Both were severely burned and, tragically, the wife passed away from her injuries.
The firm secured a multi-million-dollar for the husband in that case.
In an explosion that caused burns, Leesfield & Partners secured a $3.25 million recovery for the injured client.
Leesfield & Partners secured a $2.95 million award for a family who lost their 13-year-old daughter after a TV set caught fire in their home. The manufacturer of the defective television set was named as a defendant in the lawsuit alongside the distributor of a defective smoke alarm and the family’s condominium association, which was named in the lawsuit for safety violations. The father involved in this incident burned over 30% of his body when he tried to rescue his daughter.
A construction site accident that resulted in burns to a Leesfield & partners client resulted in an $862,000 recovery.
In a fire that killed at least one person due to the negligence of a company, Leesfield & Partners secured a $600,00 recovery.
For a patient who was burnt in an operating room due to the negligence of a hospital’s medical staff. Attorneys at the firm secured a $600,000 recovery.
The firm has also handled other cases involving burn injuries to clients including a child who was burned at a neighbor’s home by stew that was cooking on the stove. The child in that case, an 11-year-old boy, sustained second-degree burns to his legs when the improperly installed range tipped forward on him. An investigation by our firm determined that the landlord’s failure to use anti-tip brackets paved the way for the incident to occur.
Leesfield & Partners secured a $300,000 settlement in that case.
