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Published on: August 9, 2024

Woman who posted on social media about sister’s injury on cruise ship dance floor gets attention of global news outlet. Here’s what she had to say

A woman whose sister is on the line for an $8,000 medical bill after shattering her ankle on a cruise ship’s dance floor is warning other passengers to buy medical insurance, according to reporting from The Daily Mail.

The sisters were traveling from Queensland to New South Wales on a P&O cruise ship, a British cruise line, when one of them dislocated and fractured her ankle. The two were told the injured sister would not be covered by Medicare even though they were traveling domestically and were in Australian waters at the time of the incident.

“Don’t play Russian roulette with your health and safety, get insurance,” one sister wrote in a social media post to warn other passengers. “We don’t leave home without it.”

Published on: August 1, 2024

Mother whose daughter died in 2017 boat crash calls for addition of rescue boats in Florida Keys following multiple incidents earlier this month

By Leesfield & Partners

When June Smith lost her 13-year-old daughter, Harlie Smith, in a boat crash off of Cudjoe Key in 2017, she said she didn’t realize how unprepared they would be in an emergency, according to reporting from WSVN Miami.

“We’ve spent many years down in the Keys and that day, when I needed help, I didn’t realize you are helpless,” she said.

Harlie, who her mother described to WSVN reporters as an outgoing, happy child who loved the ocean, was in the water on Aug. 11, 2017, when a boat propeller hit her, causing a severe laceration to her leg. The boat, a 2017 Boston Whaler, was driven by Harlie’s father who did not know his daughter was behind him when he put the boat into reverse, according to previous reporting by local news outlets.

Published on: July 26, 2024

Fire Monday at Key West Marina damages boats. Fire Safety Tips to Know to Protect You and Your Family

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire that broke out Monday at a Key West Marina left at least three boats heavily damaged, officials say.

Firefighters were called out to Robbie’s Marina of Key West on 7281 Shrimp Rd. at around 9:30 p.m. and took a little less than four hours to be extinguished. At least three boats, measuring 23, 25, and 40 feet, respectively, were heavily damaged due to the blaze.

No injuries were reported in the incident. Additional details like how the fire got started were not immediately available Wednesday. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident.

Published on: July 16, 2024

News of yet another South Florida boat crash makes headlines and is a chilling reminder of the potential dangers on the water

By Leesfield & Partners

At least one person has died following a Sunday morning crash with a 42-foot boat and a jet ski, officials say.

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to calls of a crash at around 8:30 a.m. near the Broad Causeway in Bay Harbor Islands, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The man on the jet ski was pulled from the water by witnesses on a separate boat and was taken to shore. The man later died.

Published on: July 10, 2024

Woman rushed to hospital after electrocution from lamp post in Key Largo, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman walking Tuesday morning was rushed to the hospital for electrocution injuries after leaning on a lamp post in Rowell’s Waterfront Park in Key Largo.

The woman was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital and was in stable condition as of Wednesday despite suffering through muscle spasms all Tuesday night, according to reporting from local news outlets. Her husband told reporters “the whole pole was live” and that his wife simply touched one of the street lights and was shocked. As a result of the electrocution, the woman had a burn mark the size of a dime on her knee.

Officials with Monroe County Parks and Beaches along with Wire Nuts, a company hired to conduct the repairs, were investigating the incident. The park, 8 acres of waterfront property located along the Overseas Highway, underwent repairs in the last few years including the construction of new restrooms, walking paths, lighting, wi-fi and electricity. The light poles that electrocuted the woman Tuesday were installed approximately two years ago.

Published on: July 9, 2024

A slew of injuries reported in the Florida Keys throughout the Fourth of July weekend sets a devastating reminder of the serious consequences of boating accidents

By Leesfield & Partners

About eight people were injured and one person died in three separate incidents in the Florida Keys over the holiday weekend, according to local officials.

The latest of the three incidents happened around 2 a.m. Monday when a Contender boat crashed into the South Pine Channel Bridge, a bridge connecting Middle Torch Key and Ramrod Key in the Lower Keys. At least seven people were injured in the crash including a child. The child and two others were transported via air ambulance while four others were taken to local hospitals. Monroe County Fire Rescue officials told The Miami Herald that the boat was going at a high rate of speed when it crashed.

The second incident took place Saturday around noon in Key West and involved at least one person on a jet ski who was transported to the hospital by helicopter. Additional details, including how the incident happened or whether another watercraft was involved, were not immediately available Monday.

Published on: July 3, 2024

Leesfield & Partners Wants You To Stay Safe This Summer. Here Are A Few Summer Safety Tips.

By Leesfield & Partners

In the same way as the popular saying, “April showers bring May Flowers,” summertime liberties can breed several injuries.

Though it might not be as catchy, the latter is no less true. With an increase in outdoor activities, recreation, and travel, the warmer season has a propensity for injury. With the warm and sunny weather outside and school out for anywhere between two and three months for summer vacation, many families take the opportunity to travel, go on cruises, and or try recreational activities they are not accustomed to in their everyday lives such as go-karting, parasailing, or jet skiing.

Cruise Ship Injuries

Published on: July 3, 2024

Major Florida Highway renamed in honor of famous Leesfield & Partners client almost a year after his death

By Leesfield & Partners

Parrotheads can serenade themselves in traffic about lost salt shakers to their hearts’ content as they drive down State Road A1A, now renamed “Jimmy Buffet Memorial Highway,” thanks to one of two bills signed late last week.

Gov. Ron De Santis, R-FL, signed the bills that will now honor the late singer who passed away last September from a type of skin cancer, according to reporting from CBS Miami. The first bill would name State Road A1A after Buffet and the second would create a “Margaritaville” specialty license plate in honor of his most famous song. Proceeds from the specialty license plate will go to the Singing For Change Charitable Foundation founded by Buffet and initially funded by the earnings of his 1995 summer tour. The bills are slated to take effect starting Oct. 1.

Buffet was among some of the most influential clients represented by Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury and wrongful death law firm that opened its doors in 1976. The law firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira H. Leesfield, spoke about his friendship with Buffet and history representing him as an attorney during an interview with the Two Lawyers Walk Into A Bar podcast hosted by Cooper Knowlton and Lee Bergstein, partners at a New York City-based real estate law firm.

Published on: July 2, 2024

Police investigating after 5-year-old drowned in Miami-Dade pool. What to know to stay safe in the water this summer

By Leesfield & Partners

A 5-year-old boy died Thursday night after drowning in the backyard pool of a home in Miami-Dade County, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Emergency responders were called out to the home, located on the 14800 block of SW 168th Terrace, just before 8 p.m. Thursday. The boy was taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Additional details were not immediately available Friday. The incident is under investigation by the Miami-Dade Homicide Detectives.

Published on: June 20, 2024

A disturbance heading for the state is not a threat to Florida, but that won’t always be the case. How to make sure you’re prepared for the unthinkable this hurricane season.

By Leesfield & Partners

Rain is expected to hit South Florida Friday afternoon due to a disturbance being monitored by The National Weather Service in Miami.

As of Thursday, this disturbance is located about 150 miles east of the northernmost Bahamas and has a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression over Thursday and Friday. Meteorologists do not anticipate this storm to be a serious threat to the state, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The disturbance will bring extra rain to the area as it approaches the east coast before heading north.

Meteorologists with NWS in Miami have estimated about a quarter of an inch of rain beginning Friday afternoon. In areas where thunderstorms are predicted, rainfall estimates could be higher.