Carlos Fabano

Published on: March 13, 2026

‘One Moment of Inattention’ Has Severe Consequences: Leesfield & Partners Files Lawsuit on Behalf of a Severely Injured Monroe County Bicyclist

Leesfield & Partners filed a lawsuit this week on behalf of a man who was ejected from his bike following a crash on Stock Island with a commercial truck driver.

“This driver’s one moment of inattention has left my client with life-altering injuries,” said Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm. “This frightening incident has left him in severe pain, causing a disruption to his daily life and happiness.”

The incident occurred just after 2 p.m. on Jan. 13 as our client was approaching the intersection of College Road, where he had the right-of-way to proceed. At the same time, another man behind the wheel of a commercial truck was approaching from the opposite direction and failed to yield, plowing through the intersection and making an illegal left turn. In doing so, this driver hit our client, who was then ejected from his bicycle and sent into the air before eventually falling onto the hood of another vehicle. He was then thrown onto the road.

Published on: March 9, 2026

Vacation in the Florida Keys: What Happens if You’re Injured While Traveling?

By Leesfield & Partners

Conch fritters, reef-snorkeling excursions, and/or six-toed cats at the Hemingway house are likely the most-searched topics when researching Florida Keys vacations.

As tourists prepare their itineraries, activities for cranky children during drives across the iconic Seven Mile Bridge, and packing lists, the potential for injuries may not come to mind. In fact, it is likely the farthest thing from their minds when they picture sunning by the pool or taking that coveted first bite of Key lime pie. At Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury law firm in Florida with five decades of experience, our attorneys know just how often a vacation can be soured by an unexpected accident.

Whether it’s a seemingly harmless motorcycle ride that turns deadly or a parasailing excursion gone wrong, our attorneys work tirelessly to ensure they secure the best outcome for every client. We know that the legal system can be daunting and revisiting painful memories can seem like an impossible task, however, it is essential in the path toward justice. For many families affected by preventable injuries, accountability helps acknowledge their pain and can lead to meaningful change aimed at preventing others from suffering the same harm.

Published on: February 18, 2026

Leesfield & Partners: 50 years of Representing Families, Locals and Tourists in Monroe County

By Leesfield & Partners

The story of Leesfield & Partners, a Florida personal injury law firm, is nearly inseparable from Monroe County and the Florida Keys.

“I was sort of thrust into the law by an eviction notice on my mom’s apartment when I was about 12 years old,” said Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, in a recent interview with Miami Today. “We couldn’t afford the rent, and she was a single mom with three children … My mom was standing there in tears, and I said to myself, ‘this is not the place I want to be for the rest of my life.’ I wanted better circumstances and to help others get to a better place as well.”

The law, he went on to tell reporters, was a good place to start. Following law school, Mr. Leesfield found himself trying his first-ever case in Key West in 1973. This was also the first trial in Florida under the state’s newly adopted comparative negligence law. That landmark case not only shaped the direction of Florida jurisprudence but also began the firm’s enduring commitment to the Keys community.

Published on: November 26, 2025

Man Dies Following Dive at Florida Keys Shipwreck. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 50-year-old man has died after losing consciousness following a scuba dive at a Key West shipwreck over the weekend, according to local media.

Nicholas James Strazzulla, a certified diving instructor of Inverness, Florida, lost consciousness following the 150-to-200-foot dive to the USNS Hoyt S. Vanderberg. The former missile tracking ship was intentionally sunk nearly seven miles south of Key West in 2009 to be used as an artificial reef, according to the Miami Herald.

He was brought back to the dive boat and others in the group he was with performed CPR on him, officials told local media. He died at the Lower Keys Medical Center.

Published on: October 22, 2025

Children Injured, Man Charged Following Florida WaveRunner crash this week.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two children were hospitalized, one with life-threatening injuries, after a man accused of being under the influence slammed into them on a WaveRunner along Florida’s Gulf Coast this week, according to reporting from local media.

The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, near Madeira Beach where multiple adults were allegedly racing near where a man was riding a jet ski with two young children.

One man, identified by the Pinella’s County Sheriff’s Office as 48-year-old Daniel Patrick Grubert, of Piermont, New York, has since been charged with two counts of boating under the influence, causing serious bodily injury. Grubert was also charged with one count of reckless operation of a vessel.

Published on: October 3, 2025

‘Kind, Genuine Heart:’ Loved Ones Remember 20-Year-Old Killed in Kendall Personal Watercraft Crash

By Leesfield & Partners

Loved ones of a man, 20, who died in a personal watercraft incident in a Kendall canal spoke with local media to remember him.

The body of Name, of place, was found around Saturday morning in a canal in southwest Miami-Dade County, according to reporting from Channel 10 News. Name was reported as a missing boater to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials around 7 p.m. Friday. His body was found near Southwest 117^th Avenue and Bird Road.

Though reporters spoke with loved ones, no name or other identifiers were shared as of Monday.

Published on: September 25, 2025

Community Honors Boy, 17, Who Died in Florida Keys Diving Accident. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Community members and their local fire department gathered over the weekend to honor a 17-year-old, who had dreamed of becoming a firefighter, after his diving death in the Florida Keys.

Cameron Ruwe died while on a family trip off Grassy Key on Saturday, Sept. 13, just a week shy of his birthday, according to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida. He had been using a hookah rig, a surface-supplied air system, while he went underwater. He was given CPR before emergency responders took him to Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon, Florida, where he was pronounced dead.

His stepmother, Katherine Zaensi, said Cameron was rarely seen without a smile and that he “never, ever, ever had a bad day.”

Published on: September 25, 2025

Broward County Teen Dies in Florida Keys Diving Accident. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 17-year-old teenager died over the weekend while diving using a hookah rig in the Florida Keys, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The boy, later identified as Cameron Isaiah Ruwe, was diving with several others on Saturday using a hookah rig — a type of diving that uses a surface-based compressor to deliver air through a hose. The group and their vessel were near Grassy Key around 1:30 p.m. when Cameron attempted to swim back to his boat and “went underwater,” according to local media.

The people who were with him attempted to perform CPR before emergency responders arrived. He was taken to Fisherman’s Community Hospital in Marathon where he was pronounced dead.

Published on: September 4, 2025

Florida Keys Firefighters Race Flames of Boat Fire to Stop Spread to House, officials say.

By Leesfield & Partners

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.

Published on: June 12, 2025

Hoping to Get a Selfie with Key West’s Most-Photographed Landmark this Summer? You’re out of Luck.

By Leesfield & Partners

Key West’s iconic Southernmost Point Buoy will not be available to the public for about a year, according to city officials.

Due to recent storms, the seawall and other damages at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets call for repairs and the closure of the area. The repairs will begin in mid-August or the beginning of September, according to reporting from local media. While the real buoy is under construction, the city announced it is working on a temporary replacement, which will be located on the Duval Street Pocket Park at 1400 Duval.

“It is smaller, but still taller than a person,” Alyson Crean, a city spokesperson, told reporters with the Tampa Bay Times. “The ocean will still be visible, but the temporary location is farther away from the ocean.”