"car accident"

Published on: August 27, 2025

Scooter & Moped Accidents in Key West: Liability for Tourists, Locals, and Drivers

It’s not uncommon to see someone cruising down the streets of historic Key West on a moped or scooter, often clad in Hawaiian shirts — seemingly the area’s unofficial dress code.

This mode of transport is extremely popular in the area. However, like any vehicle, it carries risks and can lead to serious consequences. There are a myriad of reasons why a moped or scooter accident may occur — from narrow streets and tourist inexperience to distracted driving. When they do occur, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know the consequences can be severe, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal fractures, paralysis, broken bones, and more.

Scooters and mopeds are an efficient and fun way to explore Key West’s historic streets, lined with palm trees and the inviting sea breeze. It’s no wonder many tourists opt to rent them or borrow them from friends when visiting the area. Their inexperience on the roads, however, can lead to costly mistakes. Speeding, failing to yield, or not understanding local traffic patterns can all contribute to collisions. Under Florida law, a tourist who negligently causes an accident can be held just as accountable as a local driver. Even if they lack Florida insurance, their out-of-state auto policies may provide coverage, and an injured party can still bring a claim against them in Florida courts.

Published on: August 18, 2025

High-Speed Chase in Florida Keys Results in Police Using Spike Strips. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Fort Lauderdale woman faces multiple charges after police say she led them on a high-speed chase Saturday in the Florida Keys.

Lianet Rodriguez, 35, was charged with felony fleeing and eluding police, a misdemeanor moving traffic violation, driving under the influence and resisting an officer.

The chase was sparked by multiple 911 calls that reported a car was driving into oncoming traffic and passing on the shoulder near mile marker 21, according to reporting from local news outlets. Mile Marker 21 is on Cudjoe Key.

Published on: June 12, 2025

This Florida Town Ranked Among ‘Most Charming’ in Florida. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

World Atlas named Key West among the 10 most charming small towns to visit in Florida, here’s why.

The southernmost island in the Florida Keys owes its popularity to crystal-clear waters, historic charm, and quirky locals. With must-see locations like its famed lighthouse and the six-toed cat oasis of the Ernest Hemingway Home, it’s easy to see why thousands of out-of-state visitors choose to vacation in Key West. And that’s not the only place for history buffs. Other historic sites to see include Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and the Truman Little White House.

Whether looking for educational places to visit, trying to work on a tan, or hoping to snorkel among vibrant marine life, Key West has a little something for everyone.

Published on: April 22, 2025

Leesfield & Partners Representing Client in Key West Motor Scooter Accident Case. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners is representing a Key West motor scooter rider whose life was upended after a negligent driver struck him, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury

Our 46-year-old client was approaching a Key West intersection on his motor scooter when a driver, who had a stop sign, failed to yield the right of way to our client, causing a collision between the vehicle and the scooter. Our client was ejected from his scooter and hit the driver’s windshield, significantly cracking it before falling unconscious to the ground. He was transported to the hospital with a crushed left tibia and fibula and severe head trauma.

When speaking with the authorities at the scene, the driver claimed to not have seen our client.

Published on: March 25, 2025

Wildfires Close Card Sound Road Thursday, officials say. What to Know About Leesfield & Partners’ Fire Litigation.

By Leesfield & Partners

Card Sound Road, one of the only ways in and out of the Florida Keys, will have intermittent closures Thursday morning due to fast-moving brush fires, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Thursday marks the third day in which the road saw shut downs due to the wildfires as firefighters continue to battle the flames. The road will have these closures for fire mitigation and air water drops.

The 14,000-acre, South Florida wildfire broke out Tuesday afternoon in a largely rural area and, as of Thursday morning, was at least 20 percent contained, according to reporting from The Palm Beach Post.

Published on: March 6, 2025

Three Hospitalized Following Crash Monday on the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys

By Leesfield & Partners

Three people were airlifted to the hospital following a head-on crash on the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Monday afternoon, according to reporting from local media.

The crash happened around 2 p.m. between a GMC Denali pickup truck and a BMW SUV. Photos from the Miami Herald show the mangled aftermath of the collision and first responders scrambling around the BMW, the front of both vehicles appeared to be crushed in photos.

The pickup was heading south and turned into the northbound lane and struck the BMW, officials with the Florida Highway Patrol told reporters. Officials said they did not know why the truck turned into the northbound lane.

Published on: May 28, 2024

Driver allegedly asleep at the wheel crashes into two marathon runners in Key West weekend race.

By Leesfield & Partners

Two pedestrians running in a weekend race on U.S. 1 near mile marker 17 in Key West were hospitalized after being hit by a car whose driver had allegedly fallen asleep at the wheel.

The driver, 23, was heading north when officials say she fell asleep at the wheel, eventually hitting two men identified by NBC 6 South Florida as a surgeon named “Matt D.,” and a University of Miami professor named “Gabriel.” The two men were hit around 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, and were participating in the Keys 100, a 100-mile point-to-point race to benefit The Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys Inc, which offers various services to cancer patients in the Keys who have to be shuttled to and from Miami for treatment. As the driver fell asleep, her car went out of her lane to the right, hitting the first runner and then the second before stopping on the road’s right shoulder.

The wife of Matt D. said in an interview with NBC 6 that part of her husband’s right arm had to be amputated and he remains in the hospital at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center for treatment. The wife of Gabriel, the other runner injured in the crash, said that doctors expect him to lose some function in his right arm. Both wives claim their husbands to be experienced runners with Gabriel’s wife adding that safety measures like cones and signs to tell drivers that there are runners in the area were missing. Keys 100 officials said in the article that the Seven Mile Bridge is coned, but not other parts of the course and “it [the entire course] never has been [completely coned off.]”