Key West Injury Lawyer Blog

Published on: August 8, 2025

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

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.

Published on: August 5, 2025

Two men Died, Child Injured in Florida Keys During Lobster Mini-Season. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two men have died and a child was injured in three separate incidents in the Florida Keys during the area’s lobster mini-season.

On Wednesday, July 30, Clarence Shawyer, 82, of Palm City, was found unresponsive in Gulf waters, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said in an online statement. He was taken to Fisherman’s Hospital in Marathon and later died.

In Islamorada at around 8:30 a.m. the next day, 61-year-old Raymond Bruce Sasser, of Loxahatchee, lost consciousness while snorkeling. Emergency responders took him to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where he later died.

Published on: August 5, 2025

Tesla Trial Ends in 2019 Florida Keys Fatal Crash, $242.6 Million to Families. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

After a three-week-long trial, a Miami jury awarded $242.6 million to the families affected by a deadly 2019 crash in the Florida Keys.

The jury deliberated for about seven hours, according to reporting from The Miami Herald, and decided Tesla’s Autopilot system was partially responsible. As a result, the world-renowned company will be forced to pay $200 million in punitive damages and $42.6 million in compensatory damages to the surviving family members of Naibel Benavides Leon, 22, and her boyfriend, 33-year-old Dillon Angulo.

In the years since the technology was first launched, statements have been made about Tesla S’s ability to stop itself or avoid road obstacles in its path with little to no driver assistance. Angulo and the Benavides Leon family’s attorneys argued that the company was making false claims about its Autopilot system.

Published on: July 30, 2025

Ever Wanted to Take a Flight Straight to the Keys? Now, You Can.

By Leesfield & Partners

Anyone looking to avoid long, traffic-filled drives between Fort Lauderdale and Key West now can thanks to a new direct flight set to take flight starting on Nov. 6.

Spirit Airlines will launch weekly flights on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Key West International Airport. Daily flights will begin on Dec. 18.

Tickets are already available for sale online at the airline’s website.

Published on: July 28, 2025

Man Recovering In Miami After Bahamas Boat Crash Speaks out. How Leesfield & Partners has Represented Boat Collision Victims for 49 Years.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Texas man who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run boating collision while snorkeling with his family in the Bahamas speaks out from his Miami hospital bed, according to local media.

Brent Slough, 42, of Prosper Texas was in the water snorkeling on June 30 when he was sliced by a boat that his wife claims “never stopped.”

In a recent interview with WSVN Miami, Slough told reporters he feels lucky to be alive.

Published on: July 28, 2025

Two Dead After Falling into Florida River. Recent Tragedy Underscores Urgent Need for Water Safety

By Leesfield & Partners

Two men in their 20s drowned in a Florida river this week after jumping into the water to “retrieve an object,” according to reporting from local media Wednesday.

The men — 20-year-old Wilbert Rivera Cifuentes and 21-year-old Deyfri Roblero Morales — were in a group of about five or six people at the St. Johns River on July 21. The group was at the Palatka Riverfront’s gazebo area, shrimping from a dock when the tragedy occurred.

Several people allegedly jumped in after the two, who were allegedly unable to swim, before they were pulled under, officials with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office told reporters.

Published on: July 28, 2025

Woman Sentenced in Child Sex Abuse Material Case in Florida Keys. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Note: The names of the individuals involved in this crime have been excluded from this article to protect the victims.

A Florida Keys woman was sentenced to 13 years in prison this week after pleading guilty to various sex crimes involving children.

The woman, 37, pleaded guilty this week to sexual battery, incest and child neglect. She was arrested in January of 2024. Following her release, she will have to serve eight years of probation and will be subject to court-ordered supervision. She will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Published on: July 28, 2025

Millions of Aboveground Pools Recalled in Florida Following Toddler Deaths. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

About 5 million aboveground pools have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission following the deaths of at least nine toddlers since 2002.

The CPSC officially recalled the pools due to a compression strap surrounding the exterior of the pool legs that could create a “foothold, allowing a child access to the pool, posing a drowning risk.”

From 2007 through 2022, the children — aged 22 months to 3 years old — have drowned in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, California and Florida, where childhood drowning rates have soared in recent years. In data from the Florida Department of Health, it was reported that enough children drown in the state to fill several preschool classrooms.

Published on: July 28, 2025

Man Dies After Snorkeling in the Florida Keys. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

An 81-year-old died Monday while with a commercial diving crew in the Florida Keys, according to local media.

Stephen Edward Plopper, of Carmel, Indiana, was swimming with a commercial dive boating around Sand Key Lighthouse off of Key West when members of the crew with the boat noticed him unresponsive in the water.

They immediately began CPR, according to reporting with The Miami Herald. Members of the Coast Guard who responded to the scene also performed life-saving measures and transported Plopper to the Lower Keys Medical Center where he died.