Published on: February 21, 2025

Father Faces Felony Charges After Letting Teen Drive Before Fatal Florida Crash, officials say

The father of a 15-year-old boy who is accused of killing three children and a woman in a high-speed crash now faces felony charges for allowing the unlicensed teen take his car, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Richard Ferguson, 68, was charged Thursday with four counts of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the 2023 fatal crash. This is a second-degree felony that, if convicted, could carry up to 15 years in prison and/or up to $10,000 in fines.

The State Attorney’s Office also issued an arrest warrant for the teen, though it was not immediately clear whether or not he had been arrested as of Friday morning. He has yet to be named by authorities.

Published on: February 19, 2025

Florida Doctor Faces Complaints After Man Dies Following Cosmetic Procedure. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A doctor is facing complaints after a man was left with holes in his chest muscle and later died due to cosmetic procedure, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The administrative complaint against the Fort Lauderdale doctor claims that “the patient ultimately died as a result” of the liposuction, which allegedly left perforations throughout the 58-year-old’s chest. The procedure involved VASER, a type of ultrasound with vibration amplification of sound at resonance in January 2021. The patient then returned in 2022 “for a repeat,” according to reporting from the Miami Herald this week.

Repetitive VASER-assisted liposuction comes with risks such as infection, bleeding, never damage and scarring, which can cause perforation. The complaint alleges that the doctor “failed to document any discussion” with the patient about the additional risks associated with a repeated procedure.

Published on: February 12, 2025

Leesfield & Partners Welcomes the American Association for Justice for its 2025 Convention

By Leesfield & Partners

Welcome Back, AAJ!

US-1-Building-by-Steve-Hall-300x122

Dear AAJ Colleague:

Welcome to South Florida! All of us here at Leesfield & Partners wish you a successful and enjoyable visit to South Florida. If there is anything you need while you are here, including restaurant recommendations and activities for your families and nightlife, please feel free to call us or visit our website at:

Published on: February 10, 2025

Nurses Union Lifts the Veil on ‘Death Trap Elevators’ at Miami Hospital. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Elevators plunging several floors due to a malfunction have injured at least 12 people at The Miami VA Medical Center, an issue that has gone on for more than two years, the Miami Herald reported this week.

The elevators vacillate through the 12-story building, carrying nurses, patients and visitors alike.

In a phone interview with the newspaper, Bill Frogameni, who is a registered nurse at the veteran’s hospital and is the director of National Nurses United Miami VA chapter, said the hospital is meant o be a “place of healing.”

Published on: January 30, 2025

Elementary School Principal and Teacher in Brevard County Face Charges After 100 Kids Found Drinking at Party, Florida cops say

By Leesfield & Partners

An elementary school principal and teacher face multiple charges after police broke up a house party where over 100 minors were drinking, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan, 47, of Cocoa Beach, was charged with an open house party, a liquor law violation, and contributing to a child’s delinquency. Both of these charges are misdemeanors in Florida. Hill-Brodigan also faces a felony charge of child neglect without great bodily harm, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. She was granted a $3,500 bond and released Saturday.

Hill-Brodigan is a principal at Roosevelt Elementary School, which is a part of the Brevard County School District.

Published on: January 24, 2025

Florida Police Name Man They Say Killed Woman with “Celebratory Gunfire” on New Years Day

By Leesfield & Partners

Man faces felony charges after police say he is responsible for firing bullets in “celebratory gunfire” incident that killed a woman in Kissimmee Florida on New Year’s Day.

Carlos Manuel Tejada, 44, was charged over the weekend with manslaughter by culpable negligence in the incident that killed 56-year-old Carmen Rosa Neira Ochoa.

Tejada is accused of firing shots into the air around 12 a.m. on Jan. 1 while he was lakeside, directly across from Ochoa’s home where she was sitting on her screened-in back porch with her two daughters. Ochoa was taken to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Published on: January 16, 2025

One Person Hospitalized Following Townhouse Fire in Homestead, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire that broke out Monday night left at least one person hospitalized and several neighbors running from their beds and clamoring for their pets to get to safety.

Firefighters and emergency personnel were called out to the 4200 block of Northeast Ninth Street around 11 p.m. for the flames.

The person who was hospitalized has not been named, but officials told reporters with Channel 7 News that they were airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. The two-story home where the flames began had smoke damage and shattered windows following the fire.

Published on: December 31, 2024

Pennsylvania Officials: Carbon Monoxide Suspected in Canadian Model Dayle Haddon’s Death. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the suspected cause in the death of 76-year-old Dayle Haddon, a Canadian supermodel best known for being the face of the makeup brand L’Oréal.

Haddon died Friday at the Solebury Township, Pennsylvania home of her actor son-in-law, Marc Blucas. She had been staying in a carriage house with Blucas’ 76-year-old father who remains in critical condition at the hospital, according to reporting from The New York Post. Both had been visiting their children for the holidays.

Emergency responders were called out to Blucas’ property around 6:30 a.m. after they were told a man was lying unconscious on the first floor or the carriage house. He was transported to the hospital before police learned Haddon was still inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Published on: December 31, 2024

Women Rescued After Falling into Florida Golf Course Quarry. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Two women have a harrowing tale of how they spent their 2024 Christmas holiday after falling 50 feet into a Citrus County, Florida, golf course quarry.

The women, who have not been named, fell into the cavernous quarry on Christmas Day and were found Thursday morning. Both were in stable condition, according to reporting from the Miami Herald and were taken to a local trauma hospital.

Temperatures dropped to around 50 degrees that night. Additional details, including how many hours the women spent awaiting rescue, were not immediately available Friday morning.

Published on: December 27, 2024

One dead, five others injured in Broward boat explosion, officials say.

By Leesfield & Partners

Footage of a boat explosion that killed one man and injured five others has gone viral online, with witnesses telling reporters the vessel exploded while it was refueled.

The incident happened Monday, just days before the holidays, around 6 p.m. at the Lauderdale marina, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. At least one other boat caught fire in the incident. The explosion took place near the 15^th Street Fisheries, a nearby restaurant that frequently attracts tourists and boaters alike.

At least three of the five people who were hurt had traumatic injuries. The body of Sebastien Gauthier, 41, of Quebec, Canada, was found in the water by officials with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Monday night.