Key West Injury Lawyer Blog

Published on: October 6, 2026

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

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 & Partners

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 & Partners

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 & Partners’ 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 & Partners

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 & Partners Transformed a Limited Insurance Coverage into a Seven-Figure Result for an Injured Client.

By Leesfield & Partners

Following a $1,320,000 recovery for a Key West motor scooterist, Leesfield & Partners 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.

Published on: August 20, 2026

Authorities Investigating Fatal Florida Keys Boat Crash. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman died after she was ejected from a boat in the Florida Keys over the weekend, according to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida.

The woman, 52, of Hialeah, Florida, was on a 35-foot SeaVee Sunday, Aug. 16 with at least three others, police told reporters. The vessel was traveling north on the Intracoastal Waterway near Tavernier and, as it made a turn, all passengers were ejected into the water.

At least two other people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, the station reported.

Published on: August 20, 2026

Man Dies After Scuba Dicing in the Florida Keys. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A scuba diver who died at a Florida Keys hospital after needing rescue this week has been identified as a Michigan man, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Stephen Matheny, 64, of West Bloomfield Township died at Fisherman’s Hospital in Marathon on Monday Aug. 10. Matheny was diving in the area around 11:20 a.m. Monday when he “became unresponsive,” authorities said. He was pulled from the water and those with him immediately began CPR.

The U.S. Coast Guard took him to the hospital where he later died. It was not immediately clear whether Matheny was with a commercial dive boat or not.

Published on: August 20, 2026

Mistrial Declared in Fatal 2022 Parasailing Crash in the Florida Keys. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Federal Judge declared a mistrial on Monday, Aug. 3, in the case of a Florida Keys boat captain who was charged in a fatal 2022 parasailing accident.

The trial began on Monday, July 27, and involved jurors listening to testimony of what occurred on May 30, 2022, when 33-year-old Supraja Alaparthi, of Schaumburg Illinois, went parasailing with her son, 10, and 7-year-old nephew. After six days of deliberations, a federal jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, Local 10 News reported. The case will be scheduled for a new trial.

The 53-year-old boat captain was charged with voluntary manslaughter and seaman’s manslaughter. If convicted of voluntary manslaughter, a person would be guilty of a second-degree felony and could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. A person who is found guilty of seaman’s manslaughter may face up to 10 years in prison.

Published on: August 10, 2026

Authorities Pull Missing Divers from the Water in Monroe County. What Happened?

By Leesfield & Partners

At least three people were in need of rescue during the spiny lobster mini season, an annual two-day window of fishing before commercial traps are set, in Monroe County, according to local media.

On Wednesday, July 29, officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were on the water after receiving reports about three missing divers in Monroe County. The group was separated from their vessel while diving off of Duck Key in the Middle Keys.

Bodycam footage from the officers posted by The Miami Herald shows authorities as they approached the divers who were bobbing in the water. Some of the divers had tanks strapped to their backs and thanked officers as they were pulled onboard the vessel.

Published on: July 30, 2026

What Authorities Said Ahead of the 2026 Lobster Sport Season. Here’s What Florida Keys Divers Should Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Every year, thousands of tourists and locals alike wait to dive beneath the surface of the Florida Keys’ sparkling waters during lobster season.

Invariably, however, this highly anticipated, annual event does not come without incident. From arrests for overfishing to more devastating boating accidents, authorities are cautioning divers and boaters to be safe out on the water.

In its latest, publicly available report, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission noted that there were 694 reportable boating accidents in 2025. These incidents resulted in 51 deaths and injuries to 437 people. The agency reported that 67% of fatal incidents in 2025 involved vessel operators without formal boater education.