Evan Robinson

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 19, 2025

One Dead in Boynton Beach Jet Ski Crash. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 49-year-old man died following a crash near the West Gateway Boulevard Bridge in Boynton Beach’s E-4 Canal Sunday evening, according to local media.

The man was identified as Jeffrey Civitano, of Sunrise, Florida.

Emergency responders were called out to the area just before 6 p.m. after a report of a jet ski crash. Police told reporters that the jet ski was traveling northbound in the canal at the time of the crash. Civitano was found in the water while the jet ski continued traveling north on its own.

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: August 15, 2025

Researchers’ Bio-Engineered Molecule May be First-Ever Antidote for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A new protein therapy discovered by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine may be the first-ever antidote for carbon monoxide poisoning, officials with the school announced this week.

The announcement followed the publication of their new study in the journal for Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). This came after researchers had bio-medically engineered a new molecule that could prove fruitful with reversing the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. The new molecule, said study corresponding author Dr. Mark T. Gladwin, has fewer side effects than other molecules that are currently being tested, including only minimal changes to blood pressure.

“This has the potential to become a rapid, intravenous antidote for carbon monoxide that could be given in the emergency department or even in the field by first-responders,” he said.

Published on: August 12, 2025

It never sailed in the Florida Keys sun — but beneath the waves, it’s been waiting for decades. Here’s What Monroe County Officials are Finally Removing from the water.

By Leesfield & Partners

Monroe County’s derelict vessel removal program typically deals with barnacle-laden sailboats, but, on Monday, officials announced they would be removing something far more interesting — a 92-foot yellow submarine.

The announcement was made Monday in what a spokesperson for the county told reporters with The Miami Herald is “one of the most unusual and challenging projects in Monroe County’s derelict vessel removal program.” A marine contractor is needed to remove the vessel in coordination with the county’s Marine Resource Officer.

Currently, the sub floats off Marathon in the Middle Keys and has been in the area since at least the 90s.

Published on: August 12, 2025

Injuries at Key West Bars & Live Music Venues — When Is the Owner Liable?

By Leesfield & Partners

In Key West, the land where Jimmy Buffet songs and margaritas reign supreme, it is important for victims of a slip and fall or other accident to know what recourse they have for recovery.

At Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience throughout Florida, our attorneys know that accidents can occur at any time — no matter the venue.

Whether a tourist or a local, hitting the iconic stops along Duval Street or events at Mallory Square, a night of fun-filled live music can quickly turn sour through no fault of your own. While no one expects such a thing to occur, the countless recoveries obtained on behalf of injured clients throughout the firm’s history are enough to prove that they do. It can be something as simple as slipping in the unmopped remnants of a spilled drink, being trampled by a throng of cruise ship passengers in an overcrowded bar or being injured due to building code violations.

Published on: August 12, 2025

Florida Keys Boat Captain Indicted in Deadly 2022 Parasailing Accident

By Leesfield & Partners

A federal grand jury charged a Florida Keys boat captain in relation to a parasailing accident that resulted in the death of a woman and the injury of two children in 2022.

Daniel Couch, 52, was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with one count of seaman’s manslaughter. The charge stems from Memorial Day 2022 when Couch took out 33-year-old Supraja Alaparthi, her son, 10, and her 9-year-old nephew on a parasailing excursion in a 31-foot boat. Alaparthi died from her injuries and her nephew was severely injured. Her son suffered minor injuries, according to local media.

The family was already in the air around 5 p.m. on May 30, 2022, when a strong storm gust caused an issue, causing Couch and at least one other employee on the boat to lower the group back to the water. The National Weather Service had predicted high winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms before the group set out on the water. The gust was so strong that the “parasail also risked dragging the boat,” according to reporting from The Miami Herald. Couch did not steer the boat side-to-side or attempt another technique to lessen the wind underneath the parasail. Instead, he cut the cable tethering the parasail harness to the boat with a knife.

Published on: August 11, 2025

Texas Teen Died After Sleeping in Mom’s Car. Could Carbon Monoxide be the Cause?

By Leesfield & Partners

Police in Texas believe that a 15-year-old girl who died after she was found unresponsive in her mother’s car may have succumbed to carbon monoxide exposure, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The incident happened around 3 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 8 after the girl’s mother got off work. Police said the teen met her mom outside and the two stayed outside to talk and fell asleep in the vehicle while it was still running. Authorities told reporters that falling asleep in the car was “normal” for the family because they were recently unhoused and the “car is familiar to them.”

The mother discovered her 15-year-old when she later got up to wake her other daughter inside the home and came back to the car to find the girl unresponsive. The mother then started driving to the hospital and met first responders on the way. Tragically, the girl died at the hospital.

Published on: August 8, 2025

This Florida Keys Location Named in Top Seven Coastal Towns in U.S. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Key West, where Leesfield & Partners has one of three Florida offices, was named as one of the top seven charming U.S. Coastal towns this week by USA Today.

It’s no wonder why the quaint area, known for its combination of Floridian and Caribbean cuisine, history and scenic beaches, was named alongside iconic locations such as Cape Cod and Shelter Island. For years, Key West has been a hub, attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. In nearly five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has become a figure in the area, known not just for record results for injured clients and grieving families, but also for philanthropic endeavors. 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 Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, 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.”

Published on: August 6, 2025

Girl, 10, Killed in Tragic North Carolina Boating Accident. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Investigators in North Carolina allege they found 39 empty beer cans aboard the boat of a man they say was under the influence the day he hit and killed a little girl.

Quinten Knight, 40, faces charges of serious injury by impaired boating, operating a boat in a reckless manner, felony boating while impaired and misdemeanor boating while impaired, according to reporting from the News and Observer.

Knight is accused of boating under the influence while operating his girlfriend’s vessel on Harris Lake, approximately 25 miles outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, Aug. 2.