Florida

Published on: December 18, 2024

Self-Driving Taxis in Miami? A Look Back at Motor Vehicle Crash Litigation at Leesfield & Partners

Thanks to recent advancements in autonomous vehicle technology, self-driving cars are no longer a thing of the past, and driverless robotaxis may soon be available for transit in Miami.

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, announced it expects to bring these taxis to Miami, making the city the fifth in the U.S. with this service. The company currently boasts 150,000 weekly rides, all without drivers, in cities like San Francisco, Austin, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The decision, however, has not come without controversy. A federal investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Waymo vehicle collisions with a fixed object in May. In addition to these collisions, incidents in which the cars allegedly went the wrong way down the road and ran through traffic lights are what prompted the investigation.

Published on: December 13, 2024

Florida Classroom Vacated Following Beloved Teacher’s Legionnaires’ Disease Death.

By Leesfield & Partners

Seven elementary school classrooms in Pinellas County, Florida, were vacated this month after a beloved teacher died from Legionnaires’ Disease.

Katherine Pennington, a kindergarten teacher employed by the Pinellas County School District, died on Nov. 24 after testing positive for Legionella bacteria. As of Wednesday morning, it is unclear where Pennington may have been exposed to the bacteria.

This month, as a precaution, the students were moved from the building where Pennington taught to other classrooms on the campus while the school’s air systems and water systems were checked. In a statement to the public, the Pinellas County School District announced that an environmental company was cleaning the building.

Published on: November 12, 2024

Mother and Son Seriously Injured In Miami Crash, authorities say. Leesfield & Partners’ Long History of Representing Injured Crash Victims.

By Leesfield & Partners

A mother, 20, and her 5-year-old son were seriously injured in a crash over the weekend in Allapattah, a neighborhood in the City of Miami, officials told The Miami Herald.

Emergency responders were called around 8:20 a.m. to the area of 1793 NW 20th St. on Friday where the mother’s car had been hit by another driver. Officials said that the mother allegedly crossed mid-block and not at the intersection, according to reporting from local news outlets. One car stopped but anther, who police told reporters did not see her vehicle, did not.

Both were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries but are said to have been in stable condition.

Published on: October 25, 2024

One Dead, Two Others Hospitalized Following I-95 Crash Friday

By Leesfield & Partners

A fatal, overnight crash that killed one and left two others in the hospital caused parts of I-95 to still be shut down Friday morning.

The crash happened around 2:20 a.m. near Northwest 119th Street on I-95 when a Dodge SUV driver lost control of the vehicle, slamming into a concrete wall, according to local media.

A black Honda sedan crashed into the dodge and several others who were standing in the road.

Published on: October 10, 2024

One dead following morning Broward County crash on Oct. 2, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman died after her car careened into a Broward County canal following a crash, police said.

Police were called out to the crash around 6 a.m. Wednesday in Cooper City after they received 911 calls about a car in the canal. The driver allegedly crashed into a bridge barrier and plunged into a nearby canal.

There were at least two people in the car at the time of the crash, including the woman who was driving and a man who was able to make it out of the car, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Published on: September 17, 2024

Apple Juices Recalled in Nationwide Stores for Elevated Levels of this Chemical, FDA says. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Apple juice sold under numerous brands at stores all over the country, including Walmart, Aldi, BJ’s and others, is under FDA recalls over concerns of potentially harmful levels of arsenic, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The recall comes after an FDA report that included almost 10,000 cases of Great Value 100% Apple Juice that “contains inorganic arsenic above action level set in guidance to industry.”

A total of 133,500 cases of juice were recalled on Monday that had been sold under various brand names. In June 2023, the FDA made changes to its Final Guidance to Industry on Action Level for Inorganic Arsenic in Apple Juice. The current action level is 10 parts per billion (ppb).

Published on: September 10, 2024

One dead, two others injured after golf cart clams into propane truck over the weekend, cops say

By Leesfield & Partners

A man died after he lost control of his golf cart in Fort Myers and crashed into a propane truck Saturday, injuring his passenger and the driver of the truck, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The crash happened around 11 a.m. Saturday on Winkler Road. Officials with Florida Highway Patrol told reporters that the man was driving the golf cart south when he “left the road, overcorrected” and swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting a propane truck traveling in the opposite direction.

The golf cart driver, 44, was pronounced dead at the scene while his passenger, a 30-year-old man, was injured along with the driver of the propane truck. Both had minor injuries, according to local reporting.

Published on: June 21, 2024

Leesfield & Partners continues to represent clients in Legionnaires’ Disease cases, closing out one last month and continuing work on multiple others

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured a settlement for a woman who contracted Legionnaires’ Disease following a stay at a Florida hotel where she routinely used the hot tub.

The woman began experiencing symptoms the day she checked out from the hotel, including swelling all over her body, attorneys said in court records. She broke out in a fever ranging from 101 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit and was diagnosed at the hospital with multifocal pneumonia and Legionnaires’ Disease. While she was in the hospital, the woman went into septic shock.

Records from the state department of health showed the hotel failed to maintain minimum chlorine levels in the jacuzzi. Leesfield & Partners attorneys also discovered that the hotel failed to maintain the hot tub in accordance with industry standards. As a result of her exposure, the woman suffered an acute kidney injury. To this day, the woman suffers from regular bouts of pain and fatigue.