Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Key West’s main hospital, the Lower Keys Medical Center, may be under new management by 2029, according to reporting from Keys Weekly.
At least three potential hospital operators will be considered next week in a public meeting on Tuesday, Oct 6 at the Tennessee Williams Theater at 2: 30 p.m.
The last time the hospital’s district board, a group of individuals appointed by the governor, voted on this subject was 30 years ago. At that time, the board opted to lease the hospital to a for-profit company, Health Management Associates (HMA). Later on, that company was acquired by Community Health Systems (CHS), which has remained on board as hospital operator ever since. That agreement is set to expire in April 2029.
Last year, CHS officials asked the board to renew its lease for another three decades, Keys Weekly reported. Following the intervention of concerned residents, multiple meetings, the formation of a task force and fact-finding committee, the board issued an open call for proposals.
While members of the public may come to hear the proposals being submitted by those hoping to place a bid, the board won’t come to a final decision any time soon. That decision is still about a year away, Keys Weekly reported.
The importance of such a decision for residents and visitors is plain to see. With more than 50 years of experience handling the personal injury cases of those who have been seriously injured in Monroe County accidents, Leesfield & Partners knows the vital importance of a well-run hospital.
Leesfield & Partners: 50 Years in Monroe County
Leesfield & Partners was established in 1976, but the firm’s ties to Monroe County span back about three years prior to that when Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, tried his first-ever case as a young attorney. In the 1980s, the firm acquired its Florida Bar award-winning Key West office on historic Whitehead Street. This has been the hub of Key West litigation in which our attorneys have faithfully represented injured tourists and residents alike throughout some of the state’s most complex personal injury cases. Over time, Leesfield & Partners has set down deep roots in Monroe County through support of local food kitchens, youth athletics, and by establishing a scholarship with Key West High School in honor of beloved teacher and coach, Dexter Butler.
The Dexter Butler College Scholarship is a $5,000 award offered to senior basketball players at Key West High School who are heading off to college. The award is meant to honor Mr. Butler’s commitment to his students and the positive impact he made on each of their lives.
Our latest recipient, James Osborne, spoke candidly about the grief of losing his mentor and the importance of the lessons Mr. Butler imbued in him, which continue to shape who he is today.
“He saw something in me long before I ever saw it in myself,” James wrote. “He pushed me, protected me, challenged me, and — most importantly — he believed in me with a sincerity that changed my life.”
In addition to supporting Monroe County’s local charities and initiatives, Mr. Leesfield and Leesfield & Partners have advocated for safety. From vigilance on local roads to boating safety and advocating for stronger regulations governing e-bikes and other micromobility devices, Leesfield & Partners has addressed some of the most pressing hazards to public safety in Monroe County over the years. With that, the firm continues its involvement in Monroe County, building upon a 50-year tradition of excellence both in and out of the courtroom.
Previous Medical Malpractice Cases
Seeking medical assistance at a hospital can be a daunting and fearful task for many individuals. Horror stories of negligent and reckless physicians worsening their patients’ conditions abound. While this fear may feel paralyzing for some, the importance of seeking medical attention amid an emergency cannot be overstated. Hospitals and medical facilities are meant to be a safe haven where the uncertainties and fears of pain and injury can be answered. Though they usually are, there are medical staff who stray from the norm. When this occurs, it is the task of personal injury firms like Leesfield & Partners to hold these individuals and the facilities where the incident occurred accountable for the fallout of their negligence.
In 50 years, our skilled trial attorneys have seen a lack of care toward patients that have worsened medical conditions, inadequate facilities that cannot give our clients the proper medical care they deserve, and more. Carlos A. Fabano, a Trial Attorney at the firm, has considerable experience handling these types of cases. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Fabano represented medical care providers. Now, on the “other side” of the courtroom, representing the interests of the clients and grieving families negatively impacted by such medical professionals, Mr. Fabano represents his clients with the tirelessness and compassion necessary to achieve the best possible outcome on behalf of every client.
In several ongoing cases, Mr. Fabano is representing women who died or whose conditions worsened after medical professionals disregarded their pain, misdiagnosed them, or refused to listen to their patients.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners represented a young woman and her son in a medical malpractice case, obtaining a multi-million-dollar settlement for the family. In that case, the woman’s husband was ignored by ER doctors when he needed medical attention. The firm secured a settlement within 10 months while the claim was in a pre-suit period.
While on a cruise ship, a 16-year-old Leesfield & Partners client was suffering a stroke. Despite her clear signs and her family’s insistence, doctors disregarded them on the basis that teenagers “don’t have strokes.”
Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured a multi-million-dollar settlement in that case.
In a case in which a doctor used controversial labor techniques on a mother giving birth, Leesfield & Partners secured a $24.1 million award for the family. The Central Florida woman was being treated by an obstetrician as she labored for days. After unsuccessful induction, the doctor used a vacuum extractor on the woman for over 45 minutes before ordering nurses to apply fundal pressure, a technique involving pressure to a mother’s abdomen to push a baby down the birthing canal.
The technique is dangerous as it can result in uterine rupture, a rare but life-threatening complication. As the pressure was applied to the laboring mother in this case, the uterus ruptured and cut off oxygen supply to the baby who was born with cerebral palsy.
The award, handed down by a jury following a three-week-long trial, is the largest of its kind in Seminole County, Florida history.
Another birth trauma case handled by Leesfield & Partners resulted in an over $10.2 million recovery for the family.
For the family of a 39-year-old mother, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured a $4.3 million settlement after doctors failed to treat a brain cyst that resulted in brain herniation. In addition to brain injuries, the cyst also caused cardiac arrest and the woman’s death.
The firm secured over $8.7 million for a client injured in a medical malpractice case.
In conjunction with another firm, Alters, Boldt, Rash Brown & Culmo, Leesfield & Partners obtained a $3.2 million verdict for the care of a woman severely injured in a medical malpractice case.
Mr. Fabano previously handled a case on behalf of a cruise ship passenger who suffered a medical emergency aboard a ship. The firm obtained a seven-figure settlement in that case.
