"Leesfield & Partners"

Published on: August 20, 2024

Woman permanently injured after ‘stampede’ at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, lawsuit says

A woman is suing Walt Disney World following claims she was permanently injured in a “stampede” that ensued before an event at its Magic Kingdom park.

The alleged incident that injured the Pennsylvania native took place on June 25, a day that saw the park “packed and extremely busy,” her attorneys claim in a premises liability lawsuit filed on Aug. 12. The park, filled with storybook characters and sprawling streets inspired by the idyllic, early-20th century hometown of the company’s namesake, sees millions of visitors a year and approximately 52,000 people a day.

The woman claims she was walking down Main Street, U.S.A., a two-block, brick-lined pathway flanked on either side by shops and restaurants leading to the iconic Cinderella’s castle, when the incident occurred. The woman was “rushed” by a crowd and knocked to the ground where she was then stampeded over. Her attorneys claim in the filing that the theme park corporation was negligent in failing to warn her of the possible danger and failed to control the crowd that had amassed in that area.

Published on: August 19, 2024

Forewarning about dangers of E-Bikes from Leesfield & Partners Founder rings true years later following incident spike

By Leesfield & Partners

Parked along every street corner or perched against the sides of South Miami buildings, taunting drivers sitting in grid-locked traffic on U.S. 1, is a cluster of e-scooters for rent.

The “epidemic,” as Ira Leesfield, the Founder and Managing Partner of Leesfield & Partners, first dubbed it in 2019 has become the cause for concern for councilmembers, politicians and safety advocates across the United States and abroad. Without licensing, insurance or age requirements, the drivers of electric scooters and bikes can go anywhere they please, meaning sidewalks, streets, pedestrian paths and more.

“Being unsightly may not be unforgivable, but landing innocent pedestrians or others in a neurosurgical coma is,” Leesfield said. “Not to mention a slew of other reported serious injuries … Just ask those who work at Hospitals and Emergency rooms or walk-in medical facilities.”

Published on: August 19, 2024

One dead in efficiency fire at Miami-Dade County home early Monday morning

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire that broke out overnight at an efficiency apartment in Miami killed at least one person, according to police.

Emergency responders were called out to the house at 3056 SW 13th St. around 2 a.m., according to reporting from local news outlets. The efficiency where the body was found is located behind the home. A name or other identifying details have yet to be released as of Monday morning.

The property is meant for one, single-family unit, according to property records obtained by The Miami Herald. Neighbors told reporters from CBS Miami that they often see the unit rented out to different people, some with carry-ons and other small luggage, suggesting a short stay.

Published on: August 15, 2024

Pregnant woman files lawsuit after she was exposed to Listeria, alleging Boar’s Head products are to blame.

By Leesfield & Partners

A pregnant woman has filed a lawsuit after she claims she was hospitalized due to an illness brought on by Boar’s Head products following a recall of certain deli meats from the brand due to listeria.

The recall was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services after an investigation in Maryland by the Maryland Department of Health and the Baltimore City Health Department. Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control shows that at least 43 people have been affected by the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes, a serious food infection contracted via food contamination. At least three people have died, according to the CDC.

Listeria can cause stillbirths and miscarriages in pregnant people. Other symptoms include fever, flu-like symptoms, a stiff neck, seizures, headaches, and or a loss of balance.

Published on: August 13, 2024

Horrific crashes over the weekend in Broward and Downtown Miami resulted in several deaths, injuries

By Leesfield & Partners

Two separate crashes in Downtown Miami and Broward Saturday and Sunday have resulted in at least three deaths and numerous injuries, according to local news outlets.

The first of the two crashes happened Saturday just before 7 a.m. near North Miami Avenue and NE 8th Street. Footage from NBC 6 South Florida showed at least three cars involved in the collision that were mangled and heavily damaged. At least one person was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders and several others were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The second crash occurred at a Broward intersection around 2:30 p.m. Sunday and involved at least three vehicles. The crash happened at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and Sixth Street. Six adults were rushed to local hospitals in conditions that ranged from critical to serious, according to local news outlets. Two of the six adults later died at the hospital.

Published on: August 13, 2024

One injured after car smashes through storefront of boutique in Aventura Thursday

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman has been hospitalized after she accelerated into the front window of a prom dress boutique in Aventura Thursday morning, police say.

The car crash happened just before 10 a.m. Thursday at the JDO Couture Dress Shop on Biscayne Blvd. The store regularly opens at 11 a.m. and no one was inside at the time of the crash. Security footage from a nearby store shows the woman, 63, attempting to park her white, four-door Audi before accelerating, smashing through the shop’s front window.

The woman was taken to Aventura Hospital for treatment. Additional information was not immediately available Friday. This incident remains under investigation.

Published on: August 13, 2024

Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease prompts warnings to the public. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Health officials in New Hampshire are warning the public about Legionnaires’ Disease after five confirmed cases at a single resort.

The five cases are believed to have been contracted between June and July at a resort in the downtown area of Lincoln, New Hampshire. The source of the bacteria, officials told local news outlets, can be linked to water droplets from a nearby cooling tower. The cooling tower is still in operation, leaving health officials to warn the public about a continued risk if they are in the area.

The Centers for Disease Control defines an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease as two or more cases identified within 12 months at the same location.

Published on: August 9, 2024

Port St. Lucie authorities are urging public to check carbon monoxide detectors following elderly woman’s death

By Leesfield & Partners

An 82-year-old Port St. Lucie woman died this week and her husband remains in the hospital after a car left running in the couple’s garage is suspected to have leaked carbon monoxide into the home, officials say.

Police were called out to the one-story home Sunday morning after a neighbor called to report she saw the woman’s 85-year-old husband on the floor inside, according to reporting from local news outlets. When first responders arrived, they said they found the man unconscious but still breathing.

Police found a car running in the couple’s garage that they believed to be the cause of the carbon monoxide leak. The woman did not survive and her husband remains in the hospital receiving treatment.

Published on: August 9, 2024

Women injured after shooting at Broward Restaurant. This isn’t the first time.

By Leesfield & Partners

Two women were rushed to the hospital for injuries incurred following a shooting Wednesday morning at a Broward restaurant, according to reporting from local news outlets.

Emergency responders were called out to the restaurant around 2 a.m. for reports of shots fired and found that one woman had been taken to HCA Florida Plantation Emergency for treatment while another was also taken to the hospital.

The first woman was shot while the second had non-shooting-related injuries. The first woman was stable as of Wednesday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. Both women were taken to the hospital by friends.

Published on: August 8, 2024

Florida Mechanic Killed Monday after Tire Explosion, authorities say

By Leesfield & Partners

A 20-year-old mechanic was killed at a shop in Fort Myers after a swollen tire exploded under pressure Monday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. while the man and at least one other worker were filling tires with air. As the man relieved air pressure from the tire, police said, it blew off the rim and struck him in the head. The other worker was also hit in the leg. Coworkers used towels to help stop the bleeding but emergency responders pronounced the 20-year-old dead at the scene at around 1 p.m.

A Centers for Disease Control State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (Face) Report, a program that examines fatal occupational injuries, conducted following a similar situation with a 20-year-old apprentice mechanic in California recommended that employees never perform maintenance on an inflated tire. Additional recommendations from the report included the supervision of new employees and testing employees following training to ensure that they are ready to take on the job with less supervision.