-Cases Resolved in Key West and Monroe County on a rapid increase.
In our 40-year practice in Key West and Monroe County, we have seen the trend for serious and unnecessary injuries and deaths increase for a number of reasons. First, the number of visitors from the United States and abroad to Key West/Monroe County has now topped three million per year. Moreover, poorly maintained streets, bicycle and moped activities and heavy selling of water sports have contributed greatly to this trend. Key West is now much more than visiting the Ernest Hemingway House or the Truman Little White House. We now see cases where children’s hands have been attacked by sharks in the tank, serious boating and jet ski accidents. Inexperienced excursion guides with a lack of supervision are major culprits in this recent increase. All along Duval Street, local vendors are selling snorkeling trips, diving tours, parasailing tours, boating, jet ski, bicycle and moped rentals. After the purchase, the unknowing, entrapped, unsuspicious visitor is then poorly supervised or instructed. There are no directions on how to use land based or aquatic equipment. Representative results from this category of neglect includes:
∙ Family involved in a jet ski/boat collision awarded $1 million.
∙ Truck/bicycle collision causing life-threatening injuries to 56-year-old Key West resident results in a $5.35 million award.
∙ Defective pier/$2.95 million awarded to father for loss of his wife and two children.
∙ Scooter/ambulance collision $2.1 million verdict.
∙ Wrongful death of teenage boy neglected while on suicide watch $1 million.
∙ Premises liability/minor child suffers loss of finger. $500,000 award.
∙ $3.3 million award for local handyman who fell from a ladder resulting in paraplegic injuries.
∙ Auto collision/wrongful death of teenager who drowned when the vehicle she was driving went off the road and submerged into water in the Florida Keys. $700,000 recovery.
∙ Multi-million dollar settlement for family of Seattle Seahawks NFL player tragically killed in auto/bicycle collision accident.
∙ Aviation/wrongful death in Florida Keys. $800,000 settlement.
∙ $40.5 million verdict – negligent security/resort.
∙ $575,000 award for widow of Texas resident who drowned while snorkeling in Dry Tortugas.
∙ $580,000 award for Texas woman involved in jet ski accident.
∙ $1,000,000 settlement on a $25,000 insurance policy for wrongful death of young man attacked at a bar.
∙ $799,000 settlement for Key West wife and mother injured at a poorly maintained fast food restaurant.
∙ Negligent security/sexual assault of hotel employee. $1,040,000 award.
∙ $675,000 settlement prior to trial for Key West resident struck by tourist while he was driving his moped.
∙ $485,000 award for Key West law enforcement agent struck by commercial vehicle.
∙ Wrongful death of 48-year-old man killed while he was riding his bicycle and was struck from behind. $1.4 million settlement.
∙ A record-setting medical malpractice confidential settlement for the family of a Monroe County school teacher.
Again, our upcoming legal seminar on March 6, 2017 at Mangoes Restaurant is sold out, along with our social “Margarita” event that evening. Lawyers and friends from throughout the Keys are expected to attend a full day of activities. The seminar, presented in conjunction with the Monroe County Bar Association, was approved by the Florida Bar with 2.5 CLE credits.
Leesfield & Partners continues its commitment to the Key West community for such public service upcoming events as Marques Butler Memorial Softball Tournament, Justice for All Crawl 5K Run/Walk and Key West High School Softball Team. Our commitment is to the full recovery and economic security of local Monroe County residents, as well as visitors from other places throughout the United States and abroad.
Disclaimer: The facts and circumstances of your case or potential case may differ from the facts and circumstances of the cases discussed here. Not all case results have been provided. The results provided are not necessarily representative of the results obtained in all cases. Each case is different and must be evaluated and handled on its own merit.
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