Key West Injury Lawyer Blog

Published on: November 9, 2026

Online Child Exploitation Operation in the Lower Keys Yields to Criminal Charges. What to Know.

Over a dozen people were charged with sex-related crimes following a recent, multi-agency investigation in the Lower Keys, officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office told local media.

At least two men, both in their 40s, were faced with charges related to using a computer to solicit a child and/or traveling to meet a minor, according to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida. The operation, which was focused on human trafficking crimes and the sexual exploitation of children on the internet, involved agencies such as the FBI, homeland security, local law enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigation Service.

Over a dozen other adults were charged in Monroe County with various sex-related crimes that did not involve children following the investigation.

Published on: November 9, 2026

Lower Keys Medical Center Set to Find New Management Come 2029. Who Should Run It?

By Leesfield Shapiro

Key West’s main hospital, the Lower Keys Medical Center, may be under new management by 2029, according to reporting from Keys Weekly.

At least three potential hospital operators will be considered next week in a public meeting on Tuesday, Oct 6 at the Tennessee Williams Theater at 2: 30 p.m.

The last time the hospital’s district board, a group of individuals appointed by the governor, voted on this subject was 30 years ago. At that time, the board opted to lease the hospital to a for-profit company, Health Management Associates (HMA). Later on, that company was acquired by Community Health Systems (CHS), which has remained on board as hospital operator ever since. That agreement is set to expire in April 2029.

Published on: November 9, 2026

Monroe County Officials Get Very Different Call Involving Boaters. What to Know.

By Leesfield Shapiro

Usually, fights, domestic disputes, and “road rage” are things heard about on land, but, on Monday, Sept. 28, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called out to an island off the Everglades to stop it from happening on the water.

The incident occurred after a Coast Guard crew called for deputies at around 8:15 p.m. when a violent fight between a man and a woman on a sailboat broke out, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The incident took place off Cape Sable near Monroe County’s mainland.

Police later found out that a 42-year-old woman hired a boat captain, 51, to maneuver her sailboat, which allegedly measured between 30 to 35 feet, through the Keys. At one point during the trip, the two began arguing before it escalated to physical blows, police told reporters. Both the woman and the captain were charged with misdemeanor battery charges and have since posted bail. They each had non-life-threatening injuries that were “consistent with being in such a fight,” the newspaper reported.

Published on: November 9, 2026

With Florida Keys’ Peak Season on the Horizon, Here’s What You Should Know.

By Leesfield Shapiro

Snowbirds from up north tend to head south for the winter, and Floridians, especially those residing in Monroe County, cannot blame them.

When addressing the Key West High School Class of 2026 to award the second annual Dexter Butler College Scholarship, Leesfield Shapiro’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, gushed about the uniqueness of a city that attracted the likes of Jimmy Buffet and Earnest Hemingway.

“Here’s the story: Key West is special,” Mr. Leesfield said. “Driving down today, it had to be my three-hundredth trip … I realized why I keep coming back and why we are so honored and privileged to give this scholarship every year.”

Published on: November 9, 2026

Florida Keys Swimmer Gets a Shock When Encountering This Animal. What to Know.

By Leesfield Shapiro

A man who survived a shark attack while swimming off the coast of Key West told reporters the nurses who stepped in to help him were his saving grace.

“I decided to stay positive and then, when I saw the two nurse people come up, they were like angels,” David Daniels told reporters with NBC 6 South Florida.

The incident happened around 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, near Boca Grande Key in Key West. Daniels was swimming near a recreational vessel, local media reported, and was near the sandbar when he was bitten. A person in his group exclaimed that there was a shark in the water and when Daniels turned to look, that is when the animal “beelined” toward him.

Published on: October 6, 2026

Lower Keys Medical Center Set to Find New Management Come 2029. Who Should Run It?

By Leesfield Shapiro

Key West’s main hospital, the Lower Keys Medical Center, may be under new management by 2029, according to reporting from Keys Weekly.

At least three potential hospital operators will be considered next week in a public meeting on Tuesday, Oct 6 at the Tennessee Williams Theater at 2: 30 p.m.

The last time the hospital’s district board, a group of individuals appointed by the governor, voted on this subject was 30 years ago. At that time, the board opted to lease the hospital to a for-profit company, Health Management Associates (HMA). Later on, that company was acquired by Community Health Systems (CHS), which has remained on board as hospital operator ever since. That agreement is set to expire in April 2029.

Published on: October 6, 2026

Monroe County Officials Get Very Different Call Involving Boaters. What to Know.

By Leesfield Shapiro

Usually, fights and “road rage” are things heard about on land, but, on Monday, Sept. 28, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called out to an island off the Everglades to stop it from happening on the water.

The incident occurred after a Coast Guard crew called for deputies at around 8:15 p.m. when a violent fight between a man and a woman on a sailboat broke out, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The incident took place off Cape Sable near Monroe County’s mainland.

Police later found out that a 42-year-old woman hired a boat captain, 51, to maneuver her sailboat, which allegedly measured between 30 to 35 feet, through the Keys. At one point during the trip, the two began arguing before it escalated to physical blows, police told reporters. Both the woman and the captain were charged with misdemeanor battery charges and have since posted bail. They each had non-life-threatening injuries that were “consistent with being in such a fight,” the newspaper reported.

Published on: October 6, 2026

With Florida Keys’ Peak Season on the Horizon, Here’s What You Should Know.

By Leesfield Shapiro

Snowbirds from up north tend to head south for the winter, and Floridians, especially those residing in Monroe County, cannot blame them.

When addressing the Key West High School Class of 2026 to award the second annual Dexter Butler College Scholarship, Leesfield Shapiro’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, gushed about the uniqueness of a city that attracted the likes of Jimmy Buffet and Earnest Hemingway.

“Here’s the story: Key West is special,” Mr. Leesfield said. “Driving down today, it had to be my three-hundredth trip … I realized why I keep coming back and why we are so honored and privileged to give this scholarship every year.”

Published on: September 15, 2026

Florida Keys Swimmer Gets a Shock When Encountering This Animal. What to Know.

By Leesfield Shapiro

A man who survived a shark attack while swimming off the coast of Key West told reporters the nurses who stepped in to help him were his saving grace.

“I decided to stay positive and then, when I saw the two nurse people come up, they were like angels,” David Daniels told reporters with NBC 6 South Florida.

The incident happened around 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, near Boca Grande Key in Key West. Daniels was swimming near a recreational vessel, local media reported, and was near the sandbar when he was bitten. A person in his group exclaimed that there was a shark in the water and when Daniels turned to look, that is when the animal “beelined” toward him.

Published on: August 21, 2026

Here’s How Leesfield Shapiro Transformed a Limited Insurance Coverage into a Seven-Figure Result for an Injured Client.

By Leesfield Shapiro

Following a $1,320,000 recovery for a Key West motor scooterist, Leesfield Shapiro is highlighting the importance of exhaustive personal injury investigations and the importance of a homeowner maintaining clear sight lines near roadways.

“Our investigations are always relentless in cases with limited insurance coverage, and this case was no different,” said Partner Justin B. Shapiro. “The at-fault driver had only $10,000 in coverage, but we found a path to justice and turned this into a seven-figure case with creative and tenacious lawyering.”

In December of 2024, our client was leaving the mechanic shop where he worked on his motor scooter. While traveling westbound on Northside Drive, he approached the intersection of 18^th Terrace and had the clear right-of-way. A driver with a stop sign at the same intersection failed to stop and hit our client, sending him airborne before he crashed onto the asphalt and landed on his head. As a result, he suffered an ankle fracture that required surgery.