A seemingly mundane trip to the grocery store or a tiring commute home after a long day’s work can quickly turn into a driver’s worst nightmare.
About 400,000 car accident victims discover this annually in Florida with many suffering severe and permanent injuries. As a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience litigating cases just like these, Leesfield & Partners knows that the “road to recovering damages” can be a daunting one.
Here’s a basic guide to what plaintiff’s should know when seeking damages for injuries caused by an accident on Florida roads. For a more in-depth breakdown or for a free consultation, call Leesfield & Partners at 800-836-6400.
Day of the Crash
On the day of the accident, plaintiffs should ensure that they document everything they are able to. This includes photographing the cars involved in the incident, photographing injuries and collecting information such as what color the traffic light was at the time of the incident (if applicable) and recording an account of what occurred.
Be advised that your safety is paramount when collecting this evidence.
Medical Attention
Plaintiffs should seek medical attention straight away after being involved in a motor vehicle accident and collect copies of any medical records and doctor’s notes from these visits. If medical treatment is delayed, defendants may claim that a different incident caused a plaintiff’s injuries rather than the crash.
Finding a Lawyer
Finding a personal injury lawyer who will take on your case with the necessary diligence, tenacity and understanding of the law that is necessary should not be a hasty process. Get recommendations from friends and family and do your research. Look for a board-certified attorney who has met the stringent tests and been screened by the Florida Bar Certification Committee.
At Leesfield & Partners, the average time for resolution is 12 to 15months. Of course, there can be appeals along the way and after verdicts. Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can be resolved more quickly. This period is influenced by skill, experience and caseload of the attorney handling the case. Clients should look for a lawyer who is not part of a high-volume firm who can give their case the focus and attention that is deserved.
File an Insurance Claim
Plaintiffs must notify both their own insurer and the at-fault party’s insurer. Their attorney will then send a demand letter outlining the defendant’s liability and the plaintiff’s injuries. The plaintiff’s attorney will engage in negotiations with the insurer or defense counsel. These discussions may lead to a settlement, allowing the plaintiff to resolve the claim without filing a formal lawsuit. If not, however, a lawsuit will be filed.
Filing
If a resolution cannot be reached through settlement, the plaintiff’s attorney will file a complaint in civil court. Discovery, depositions and pre-trial motions will follow as the lawsuit continues. Depending on the specifics of the case, it may be resolved at trial or through a later settlement.
Leesfield & Partners
Over the years, Leesfield & Partners has represented thousands of clients and their grieving families throughout motor vehicle accident cases that have yielded historic and record-breaking results in Florida. In a case that involved the death of a family’s medical-school-bound daughter and permanent injury to their son, Leesfield & Partners attorneys obtained a $95 million verdict for the family. In that case, the family was on their way to drop off their daughter at her medical school’s orientation when a drunk driver was speeding down the wrong side of the road on I-95. The result was a head-on collision that killed their daughter, 23, and caused severe injuries to their 21-year-old son. Following the crash, the young man was left needing a wheelchair and unable to speak. Additionally, he required round-the-clock care due to his injuries.
At trial, the jury awarded $57 million to the son and $38 million to the parents, marking the largest verdict in Miami-Dade County history for a motor vehicle accident case.
“The result in this case shows what hard work and creative lawyering can do for clients with devastating injuries,” said Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. “Along with co-counsel Aaron Davis, we are happy to settle with two defendants and to obtain this record verdict for them.”
The firm also recovered over $36 million for a family who lost their loved one in a fatal motor vehicle accident case.
Leesfield & Partners obtained over $29 million in another crash case that resulted in severe injuries to our clients. The crash in this instance was caused by road construction.
Statewide Crash Data
In Miami-Dade County, where Leesfield & Partners has its headquarters, there were nearly 60,000 crashes in 2024 with almost 300 deaths and more than 29,300 injuries. This data comes from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Crash Dashboard, which tallies crash statistics throughout the state annually. As of mid-May in 2025, the area has had 18,731 crashes with over 9,000 injuries and 78 deaths.
In Monroe County, where Leesfield & Partners has maintained an office in Key West since at least the 1980s, there have been at least 645 crashes with nine fatalities and nearly 400 injuries in 2025. The year before, the area recorded approximately 1,700 crashes with six deaths and 1,252 injuries.
Our skilled attorneys handle each case with the compassion, tenacity and understanding of the law that is required to secure the best possible outcome for every client. Learn more about Leesfield & Partners’ attorneys below and the results that they have secured on behalf of motor vehicle accident victims over 48 years of personal injury practice.
Ira Leesfield
Ira Leesfield is Board Certified from National Board of Trial Advocates and has secured numerous leading and record results for personal injury clients and families throughout the decades. He founded Leesfield & Partners in 1976, establishing offices in Miami, Key West and Central Florida/Orlando. He has been recognized by numerous organizations for his work as an attorney and philanthropist throughout South Florida. Notable recognitions include the American Jewish Committee’s Judge Learned Hand Award, the Jurisprudence Award from the Anti-Defamation League, and the American Association for Justice’s Trial Lawyers Care Award, the 2024 Leadership Award from the Fatherhood Task Force of South Florida. In 2010, he was honored by Big Brothers/Big Sisters with their Miracle Maker Award for his unwavering support of their organization. He was the first in Florida to receive the American ORT Jurisprudence Award and his work advocating for public interest earned him the Melvin Belli Award.
In 2004, the Florida Justice Association honored him with the Al J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award for his charitable work and his commitment to preserving the civil justice system. Mr. Leesfield was also awarded the Wiedman Wysocki medal for his advocacy, twice. He also received the Florida Justice Association’s 2003 Crystal Eagle Award. Most recently, he was appointed to the Florida Bar’s Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee by the Supreme Court of Florida. He was honored with the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice’s Lawyer of the Year award, following a $19.8 million verdict against Honda Corp, and was chosen as one of America’s Top Ten Trial Lawyers.
The $19.8 million verdict involved a defect with a Honda motorcycle’s kickstand, which deployed while our 27-year-old client was in the middle of a ride. As a result of the kickstand deploying, his motorcycle spun out of control and caused a terrible crash that left him paralyzed. This verdict was one of several involving several companies with kickstand defects that injured motorcyclists all over the country.
Justin B. Shapiro
Partner Justin B. Shapiro has secured numerous record verdicts and settlements for injured clients and grieving families.
Previously, Mr. Shapiro represented a minor who was told to cross the street by a careless school bus driver just before he was struck in the road by a speeding driver. The boy suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the crash and had to be airlifted to the hospital. Through an investigation and identifying what could have been an overlooked defendant, Mr. Shapiro discovered that the bus driver violated state law and endangered the students she was tasked with protecting. By not stopping as far right as possible and by not ensuring 200 feet of visibility in either direction from her bus, this driver risked the lives of several students and our client.
A confidential settlement was reached in that case.
Mr. Shapiro settled a pedestrian case for $6 million, the maximum recoverable amount. The crash happened in October 2019 when our client was walking back to her office after a midday break. While she was in the marked crosswalk in broad daylight, a pickup truck driver suddenly made an illegal left turn.
As a result, she suffered horrific skull fractures, brain hemorrhages and significant injuries to her left leg. The driver claimed not to have seen our client despite clear visibility, the marked crosswalk and road signage.
Carlos A. Fabano
Carlos A. Fabano, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, has represented countless car accident victims and their families injured in horrific crashes. In addition to automobile accidents, Mr. Fabano has represented victims and their families in wrongful death actions such as medical malpractice cases, premises liability injuries, trucking and construction site accidents, and those who were injured as the result of defective products.
In motor vehicle accident litigation, Mr. Fabano is currently handling an ongoing case involving a pedestrian who was hit in his wheelchair while attempting to cross the street. After he was struck by the negligent and speeding driver, our client underwent an amputation due to the severity of his injuries.
Mr. Fabano has several other road injury cases that are in various stages of litigation.
In addition to motor vehicle accidents, Mr. Fabano has represented victims and families throughout numerous medical malpractice cases.
Click Here to Read More About the Firm’s Medical Negligence Cases.
Eric Shane
Trial Lawyer Eric Shane has represented countless car accident victims and their families throughout complex and painful cases. In addition to car accident cases, Mr. Shane has extensive experience in premises liability, cruise ship and Legionnaires’ Disease cases.
Recently, Mr. Shane secured a $900,000 settlement.
Mr. Shane is handling an ongoing case for a 46-year-old motor scooterist out of Key West whose life was completely changed following a crash with a negligent driver. Mr. Shapiro is also handling this case in which our client was left with a traumatic brain injury, a crushed left tibia and fibula. Our client was approaching an intersection and had the right-of-way when a negligent driver with a stop sign failed to yield and caused a collision. Our client was ejected from his vehicle and his the driver’s windshield with such a force that it was significantly cracked. Since the crash, our client has remained 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.”
Evan Robinson
Evan Robinson, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, has secured numerous results for car accident victims. In addition to motor vehicle accident litigation, Mr. Robinson has handled various cruise ship incidents, premises liability cases and a variety of complex catastrophic injury cases. He has invaluable experience with the convoluted matter of federal court litigation and has previously worked with one of the largest international law firms in the world.
Mr. Robinson previously secured a six-figure settlement on behalf of a client was injured in a Monroe County car accident.
In a premises liability matter, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Shapiro are representing a woman who suffered spinal cord injuries at a Key West resort. In that case, the woman was attempting to lie down on an improperly installed and inadequately maintained hammock at the resort. She was flipped head-first to the ground and required invasive surgery.
In a different premises liability case, Mr. Robinson secured a $350,000 settlement for a woman who fell at a popular Florida tourist attraction and shattered her hip.
Click Here to Read More About the Firm’s Premises Liability Cases.
Bernardo Pimentel II
Bernardo Pimentel II is a Trial Lawyer at Leesfield & Partners with a background in criminal and civil litigation. Before joining Leesfield & Partners, he represented the interests of numerous Florida companies who he now faces head-on in the courtroom as the plaintiff’s attorney. Current areas of focus for Mr. Pimentel include products liability, e-cigarette litigation and automobile negligence.
Recently, Mr. Pimentel settled a $1 million fatal car accident case on behalf of a family who tragically lost their 8-year-old daughter due to the negligence of a pharmaceutical delivery company’s employee. In that case, the company attempted to argue that this employee was an independent contractor, however, Mr. Pimentel argue that because this company exerted a certain level of control over this driver, – wearing a uniform and issuing a schedule he was obligated to follow – their claim was invalid. This level of control categorized him as an employee making the company liable for his reckless driving.
In another case involving a motor vehicle crash, Mr. Pimentel secured a confidential settlement for a mother and son who were waiting in line at a cash register at a Florida discount store. As the two waited in line, a car smashed through the storefront and barreled toward them. The mother was able to pull her child out of the way, but not before her son suffered tears to his right ankle that caused severe artery and other tendon lacerations. These injuries required several invasive surgeries, including six different procedures in a three-week span. The boy was just 5 years old.
If you or a loved one was injured in a motor vehicle accident in Florida, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today for a free consultation at 800-836-6400.