Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Leesfield & Partners is representing a Key West motor scooter rider whose life was upended after a negligent driver struck him, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury
Our 46-year-old client was approaching a Key West intersection on his motor scooter when a driver, who had a stop sign, failed to yield the right of way to our client, causing a collision between the vehicle and the scooter. Our client was ejected from his scooter and hit the driver’s windshield, significantly cracking it before falling unconscious to the ground. He was transported to the hospital with a crushed left tibia and fibula and severe head trauma.
When speaking with the authorities at the scene, the driver claimed to not have seen our client.
Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Eric Shane, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, are handling the case on behalf of our client who, due to the severity of his injuries, remains at a long-term care and rehabilitation facility.
“Sadly, our client’s life has been destroyed by this crash and he remains in in-patient rehabilitation,” Mr. Shane said. “We are aggressively pursuing all avenues of recovery under the law.”
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has represented Florida crash victims for nearly five decades, securing record-breaking settlements and verdicts for those injured in accidents. Over the years, the firm has successfully represented victims of trucking accidents, bicyclist and motorcycle crashes, and pedestrian collisions caused by negligent or distracted drivers across the state. With offices in Miami, Orlando, and Key West, Leesfield & Partners has a strong presence throughout Florida.
The firm’s deep roots in the Florida Keys go back to before it was established, when Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, tried his very first case in Key West. Since then, our attorneys have regularly represented clients in Monroe County in areas such as boating incidents, carbon monoxide litigation, and motor vehicle accidents.
Mr. Leesfield’s decades of experience litigating severe injury cases on Florida’s roads have led him to become a passionate advocate for public safety. In the past, he has worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and more recently, through his charitable organization, The Leesfield Family Foundation, he has partnered with Friends of The Underline to promote pedestrian and driver safety. His efforts with these organizations focus on education, prevention, and awareness. The Underline is a multi-phase project dedicated to creating community gathering spaces and promoting pedestrian safety by developing the under-utilized land beneath Miami’s Metrorail. Thanks to their efforts, pedestrians, bicyclists and runners alike have a safe area to use. The Underline also provides protection from South Florida’s harsh sunshine, saving countless people from heat-related illnesses.
In March 2023, Mr. Leesfield was elected to The Underline’s Board of Directors, a role that allows him to continue his commitment to enhancing safety on Florida’s roads and throughout the community. Witnessing firsthand the profound impact of these tragic accidents on families, Mr. Leesfield remains deeply driven to make a difference.
Previous Cases
In 48 years of personal injury practice, our attorneys have seen firsthand the devastating effects of these incidents on families. In that time, our attorneys have gained considerable experience obtaining the best possible result for each client. Through innovative trial strategies, tenacious investigative skills and a deep understanding of the law, Leesfield & Partners relentlessly works to achieve exceptional results.
In the case of a 27-year-old motorcyclist who suffered severe and life-altering injuries due to a defect with his kickstand, the firm obtained a $19.8 million award. As our client was traveling on his motorcycle, the kickstand suddenly engaged, causing it to spin out of control and rendered him a high-level quadriplegic.
Mr. Leesfield spent approximately two decades working on cases in which clients were severely injured or killed because of issues with a motorcycle kickstand, resulting in manufacturing changes that have saved countless lives.
A Key West crash involving a prominent local businessman resulted in a record verdict. In that case, our client had the green light at an intersection when an ambulance at a red light unexpectedly plowed through the road and hit him. In the crash, he was thrown into a cement wall, resulting in permanent injuries.
The ambulance driver claimed he was on his way to an emergency and had the right of way, however, this driver failed to deploy the necessary lights and sirens. Without these indicators, our client had no idea that the ambulance would not stop when at the red light and so he proceeded to cross the intersection.
Recently, Leesfield & Partners filed suit in the case of a man in a wheelchair who was hit by a speeding car. His severe injuries resulted in doctors being forced to amputate his leg. Carlos A. Fabano, a Trial Lawyer with the firm, is handling the ongoing case.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners obtained an $8.5 million settlement following a $27 million arbitration award for the family of a young woman who was killed by a pickup truck driver while attempting to cross the street. The woman, a wife and mother of two, was visiting Florida from her home in Toronto, Canada, when she was crushed by a pickup truck. The driver in that case claimed to not have seen her.
In a case involving a bicyclist who was hit while stopped on the side of the road on the Overseas Highway in Key West, the firm secured a $5,350,000 settlement. In that case, the bicyclist was hit by a driver who was distracted by their car’s GPS.
The firm previously recovered $3 million for a mother and son injured in a bicycle incident.
In a previous case involving a scooter accident, the firm obtained a $1 million award.
