Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Firefighters in the City of Marathon raced against the clock Wednesday morning to extinguish a boat fire in a residential driveway before the flames could spread to the home, according to local reports.
Emergency responders were called out to the 200 block of Camino Road in the Middle Keys just before 2 a.m. for reports of a fire. When they arrived, they found a 20-foot Sea Pro vessel that was engulfed in flames in the driveway of the home. Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office had allegedly attempted to put the fire out using fire extinguishers because it had “begun to char the front of the house,” according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
Thankfully, the home was not occupied, and firefighters were able to out the flames. While shutting off power to the home, firefighters discovered damaged wires. It remains unclear whether the damage sparked the fire or was caused by it.
The investigation is ongoing though deputies did tell reporters that they do not suspect foul play.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury law firm with 49 years of securing record verdicts and settlements for injured clients and grieving families, represents clients in a wide range of injury cases. From devastating fires and explosions to serious burn, boating, and water-related accidents, our attorneys bring tenacity, compassion, and deep legal knowledge to every case, working tirelessly to secure the best possible outcome for each client.
With offices in Orlando, Miami, and Key West, the firm has served clients across Florida for more than four decades, while maintaining especially deep and enduring ties with Monroe County. Leesfield & Partners’ history in Monroe County goes back three years before the firm was formed when Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, was a young attorney just starting out his career. His first case involved the wrongful death of a 14-year-old boy in Key West, the first case in Florida tried under the Florida Supreme Court’s comparative negligence law. This law replaced contributory negligence.
After holding those responsible accountable and securing a recovery amount for the grief-stricken family, Mr. Leesfield went on to later start the firm in 1976, maintaining strong ties with locals in the area. Years later, in the 1980s, the firm acquired an old cigar factory and transformed it into the Leesfield & Partners’ office on historic Whitehead Street. The renovation caught the attention of The Florida Bar Association, and the firm was honored with their “Historic Building Renovation Award” for design. This marks one of two Leesfield & Partners buildings that were praised by the Florida Bar.
Over the years, Leesfield & Partners has remained an active part of both the legal and local community in Monroe County. By serving both residents and visitors, the firm has made a lasting impact on individuals who have suffered serious injuries or lost loved ones in tragic accidents. Beyond the courtroom, the firm has also supported numerous philanthropic initiatives aimed at improving the lives of the people and families who have shaped the community into what it is today.
Most recently, the firm launched its first-ever Dexter Butler Scholarship at Key West High School to honor the life and legacy of the beloved teacher and coach, Dexter Butler. That scholarship was given to senior Dylan Martinez in May at the school’s Class Night and was presented by Mr. Leesfield and Partner Justin B. Shapiro.
“I have known the Butler family for my entire 45 years working in Key West,” Mr. Leesfield said of the award. “There is no finer family in the community who has done more for high school athletic programs. Dexter Butler was a true role model.”
This is not the first time that Leesfield & Partners has contributed a scholarship in Key West. Previously, the firm sponsored the Marques Butler Memorial Softball Tournament in Key West to honor 23-year-old Marques Butler who died in 2009. The Marques Butler Memorial Scholarship fund provides financial assistance to Key West High School student athletes on their way to a college or university.
In 2024, Leesfield & Partners and The Leesfield Family Foundation, the charitable organization started by Mr. Leesfield and his family, pledged support of the girls’ softball team at Key West High School.
Additionally, the firm has given regular support to local food banks to combat food insecurity in Monroe County. Such organizations that have received support include the Florida Keys Outreach Coalition and the Star of the Seas Foundation.
Previous Fire-Related Cases
Leesfield & Partners’ skilled attorneys have represented countless clients involved in terrible explosions, fires and other burn incidents, using creative lawyering to secure the best possible outcome for every client.
Leesfield & Partners previously handled a premises liability 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.
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.
The firm previously represented a man who was horrifically burned at his vacation accommodations in an explosion while on his honeymoon. The explosion stemmed from an improperly capped pipe that severely injured both the man and his wife. They were transported to a hospital in Florida where the wife tragically died from her injuries.
Leesfield & Partners handled a case on behalf of a family who lost their daughter when a fire broke out at their condo. The fire was caused by a faulty TV set. In the blaze, the girl’s father tried desperately to save her, but couldn’t. She was 13 years old.
The father was severely burned in that case. Leesfield & Partners secured a $2.95 million award.
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.
Our firm secured a $300,000 settlement in that case.
In a construction site burn incident, the firm recovered $862,000 for an injured client.
Leesfield & Partners also represented a client in a medical malpractice case who was burned in the operating room by medical staff during a procedure. The firm secured $600,000 for the client in that case.
Additionally, Leesfield & Partners is among the top carbon monoxide injury law firms in the U.S. The firm filed a lawsuit that got national attention when a Key West hotel’s damaged roof vent leaked carbon monoxide into the room of an Iowa family. That case was among several in the state that spurred Mr. Leesfield to rally behind Senate Bill 1822, which provides protections related to carbon monoxide in Florida.
“Carbon monoxide poisoning isn’t just a subtle threat; it’s the second most common cause of non-medicinal poisoning death,” Mr. Leesfield and Trial Lawyer Evan Robinson said in a co-authored article discussing carbon monoxide litigation.
In carbon monoxide cases, the firm previously represented a woman who was exposed to the lethal gas while staying at a foreign resort. The firm obtained over $11 million for the woman in that case.
A confidential amount was secured on behalf of a college student who was exposed to carbon monoxide while staying in a house owned by the university. The cause of the leak in that case was revealed to be an exhaust pipe from the house’s furnace.
If you or a loved one has been harmed in a fire, explosion, burn incident or through carbon monoxide exposure in Florida, don’t wait.. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 305-854-4900 for a free consultation to see if you may be eligible to make a claim.
