Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
While hotel and air travel numbers to Key West have remained strong thus far in 2026, cruise ship and ferry traffic have declined, according to the Key West Citizen.
The cruise passenger counts and ferry arrivals show declines compared to 2025, which saw 639,412 passenger arrivals — the most since 2019. These numbers come from data collected by the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce. By January of 2026, there was a 15% decrease in passengers at 49,883. In January of 2025, the area recorded 58,993 passengers.
Despite cruise travel declines, hotel and air travel remains strong. Key West International Airport, which has recently upgraded certain areas, is seeing an increase that is expected to continue into 2026. Last year, the airport reported 734,150 arrivals. In 2024, the airport reported 718,597. In 2023, that figure was recorded at 652,473. In January alone, there were an estimated 74,707 arrivals — one of the highest January totals reported in the past decade.
Hotels have also experienced a similar increase with the occupancy in January 2026 being a reported 85.7% and January of 2025 being 83.3%. Prices have likewise increased.
This trend and shift away from cruise ship passengers in the area is a part of a broader shift in how travelers are choosing to visit Key West, the newspaper reported. Officials have stated that this is because travelers are being more “intentional” with their planning. This trend means fewer daily crowds in the downtown area, which may impact local businesses such as shops and restaurants that rely on cruise ship foot traffic for revenue.
Leesfield & Partners: Resort Tort and Hotel Litigation in Monroe County and Throughout Florida
Over the last five decades, Leesfield & Partners has been integral to improving safety both locally and statewide. A case involving an Iowa family exposed to carbon monoxide at a Key West hotel gained nationwide attention after it was revealed that a roof vent damaged after a hurricane was filtering the lethal gas back into the family’s room. Thankfully, the family was able to call for help before succumbing to the colorless, odorless gas. This family, however, were not the only ones affected.
Over a dozen others also suffered from the effects of carbon monoxide exposure and, just a week after this incident, a 26-year-old man died at the same resort due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
These tragic cases highlighted the dangers of carbon monoxide in Florida. Seeing the need for legislative change, Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner advocated for further carbon monoxide protections at public lodging places and was instrumental in passing Senate Bill 1822. This bill requires these establishments to install carbon monoxide detectors within 10 feet of each sleeping area.
Over the years, Leesfield & Partners has handled various carbon monoxide cases throughout the state, including:
- A case in which the firm recovered more than $11 million for a woman exposed to carbon monoxide while staying at a resort.
- The firm reached a confidential settlement in a case involving a student exposed to the gas while visiting a college campus
- The firm settled an eight-figure case on behalf of a couple that was exposed to carbon monoxide while on vacation in a foreign country.
Leesfield & Partners has regularly held hotels, motels, resorts and management companies accountable for their negligent and reckless actions for five decades. In that time, the firm has handled everything from premises liability to negligent security incidents at these locations.
In a historic negligent security case involving a Key West hotel, Leesfield & Partners represented a woman who was attacked by a hammer in a parking garage. The woman was attacked in the unlocked parking garage of a resort hotel in the area where a man was able to enter and roam around in a “drug-induced” state without being approached or questioned by any security. The man wandered for about 20 minutes before encountering our client and beginning the violent attack.
As a result of this horrific ordeal, she suffered serious and permanent injuries to her face and head. The hotel entered into a confidential settlement the night before a $40,580,000 verdict was handed down against the remaining defendant.
A woman working as a maid at a Monroe County hotel was raped by a man who was allowed to be on the property despite the fact that he was not a guest. The man was left alone, allowing him to sleep by the pool and use drugs. He was not approached by security or any of the other staff at the hotel and was allowed to roam the property for hours before he entered a room that our client was cleaning and attacked her.
The firm handled a premises liability case involving a woman who contracted Legionnaires’ Disease while staying at a Florida hotel. The woman routinely used the hotel’s hot tub during her stay and presented with symptoms the day she checked out from the hotel. Due to her exposure and diagnosis, the woman suffered an acute kidney injury, and regular bouts of pain and fatigue.
Eric Shane, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Lawyer, was able to secure a $300,000 settlement for the woman in that case.
One case handled by the firm was handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro. In that case, our client fell while on steps of a Key West hotel that violated the 1993 Florida Building Code. The steps lacked a handrail and proper lighting, creating a dangerous environment for guests, including our client. Compounding the situation, the hotel failed to warn guests about the hazardous steps.
As a result of the hotel’s negligence, the client in that case sustained life-altering injuries.
In a different premises liability case out of Monroe County, the firm secured a $1.5 million award for our client, who was injured a ta Key west hotel. The client in this case fell in the hotel stairwell and suffered severe back injuries.
In another case handled by the firm, a second Key West hotel was found to have violated similar building codes. The hotel’s previous owners were aware of the dangers posed by the steps and had added lighting to address the issue. However, when the hotel changed ownership, the new owners removed the lights without remedying the underlying code violations or installing proper signage to warn guests of the hazard.
Combined, these cases were settled back-to-back for a total of over $700,000.
