Personal Injury Law Firm

Published on: June 12, 2025

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

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: May 19, 2025

Fire breaks out at Florida Keys Boatyard. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire broke out at the Unique Marine boatyard in Tavernier Wednesday, damaging several vessels, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

The blaze was reported at around 2:35 a.m. Wednesday, MCSO officials said in an online press release. No injuries were reported in this incident.

Photos from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office show a vessel engulfed in flames after a fire broke out at

Published on: May 15, 2025

Naples Family Sues Airbnb After Son’s Carbon Monoxide Death. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Naples family is suing Airbnb after their son, 24, died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Brazilian rental apartment.

Sebastian Mejia had spent the last eight months studying indigenous communities aboard while pursuing his master’s degree at New York University. The young student already had a bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies and international affairs alongside a minor in Portuguese.

He died while at the Rio de Janeiro Airbnb on Oct. 5, 2022. Rosa Martinez, Mejia’s mother, told reporters that a faulty gas water heater inside the bathroom where he was showering is to blame for the toxic gas in the air, WSVN reported this week. Martinez added that the water heater was installed “apparently” without the proper permission or maintenance. In addition to the improper installation, the exhaust pipe on the water heater was allegedly damaged, her lawsuit claims.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Arizona Couple Makes National Headlines Following Husbands Jet Ski Death. How Personal Watercrafts are Responsible for Hundreds of Injuries, Deaths Annually.

By Leesfield & Partners

Just like motorcycles on land, jet skis are the coolest ride on the water; however, with that level of thrill comes serious responsibility.

From improper training from rental companies to inexperienced riders, jet skis and other watercrafts are responsible for over 1,000 deaths in the United States from 2020 to 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Report, which was released on May 16, 2024. A little over 17% of these deaths occurred in July.

A couple in Arizona made national headlines this week after a wife tragically discovered her husband floating in a lake after he fell from a rented jet ski on Sunday at Lake Pleasant. The couple had rented the jet ski at Scorpion Bay, according to reporting from The Miami Herald, and experienced a “mechanical issue.” When they attempted to make a U-turn, they fell into the water.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Key West Firefighters Complete Important Rescue Training. How Many Car Accidents has Monroe County seen in 2025?

By Leesfield & Partners

Firefighters with the Key West Fire Department took part in recent training to learn how to dismantle cars in an emergency.

The week-long training was a part of a larger Urban Search and Rescue operation, and all the cars used in the exercise were already marked for destruction, according to reporting from the Key West Citizen.

This specialized training is essential in a state that sees approximately 400,000 annual car accidents on average. Monroe County had nearly 2,000 crashes in 2024, according to data collected by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Crash Dashboard. Of these crashes, six people were killed and 1,252 others were injured. In 2023, there were 1,401 crashes with 18 fatalities and 925 injuries.

Published on: April 23, 2025

Case Filed on Behalf of Woman Who Incurred Spinal Injury at Key West Resort.

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners has filed a case on behalf of a woman who attempted to lie down on an improperly installed and inadequately maintained hammock at a Key West resort. The hammock flipped her and sent her head-first to the ground, resulting in a severe spinal cord injury.

Not only was the hammock improperly installed and negligently maintained—a defect that has left the resort’s guests vulnerable to injuries of this sort—but the resort failed to remedy the defect or warn people about the risks associated with the use of the hammock.

As a result of this horrific and preventable incident, our client was severely injured and required invasive surgery. A year later she continues to suffer daily pain due to this incident.

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: April 2, 2025

Michigan Snorkeler Dies at Florida Keys Hospital Monday. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 73-year-old snorkeler has died after he was found passed out off Key Largo this week, according to local media.

The man, Dwaine David Anderson, of Crystal Falls, Michigan, was swimming on the Grecian Rocks reef off Key Largo Monday. Anderson was out with a commercial dive operation when he was found passed out, officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office told the Miami Herald.

The dive boat crew performed CPR as they raced back to shore. Anderson was transported to the Mariners Hospital in Tavernier where he was pronounced dead.

Published on: March 13, 2025

Boat Captain Found Guilty of Passenger’s Propeller Death in 2020

By Leesfield & Partners

A Marion County diving boat captain was found guilty this week of seaman’s manslaughter in the death of a diver who tragically drowned during a propeller malfunction in March 2020.

A federal jury found Dustin Sean McCabe, 49, of Ocala, Florida, guilty this week on the seaman’s manslaughter charges as well as for lying to the Coast Guard and committing Covid-19 relief fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Seaman’s manslaughter is a second-degree felony in Florida. Mcabe could face up to 10 years in prison for the seaman’s manslaughter charges, up to five years for lying to the coast guard and up to 20 years for the wire fraud.

McCabe is set to be sentenced June 12 before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

Published on: March 6, 2025

E-Bike Battery May Have Caused Key West Fire, officials say. How Leesfield & Partners Has Warned About This Danger for a Decade.

By Leesfield & Partners

A transportation device that Leesfield & Partners’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has been warning communities about may have been responsible for a Key West fire, according to the city’s Fire Marshal.

Key West Fire Marshal Jason Barroso reminded the community in the Keys Weekly, a weekly newspaper, to be wary of lithium-ion batteries. His reminder comes after an initial assessment showed a local fire may have been caused by an e-bike battery.

The fire happened on Patricia Street on Feb. 25 and had fully engulfed a garage, causing significant damage. Thankfully, no injuries were reported but Barroso wanted to remind the community to follow manufacturer’s safety instructions for charging and storing of e-bikes.