Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
With America’s semiquincentennial set to take place over the weekend, people all over the country are prepping their grills and parade floats; but there’s one other tradition that has authorities issuing warnings.
Fourth of July fireworks are involved in approximately 75% of the annual 15,000 firework-related emergency room visits every year. Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that anywhere between eight and 15 people die in firework-related accidents every year. The most common type of injury from household pyrotechnics is burns; however, these accidents can also result in amputations, blast trauma, and severe eye injuries. For young children and toddlers, the leading injury type is a burn from sparklers.
In 2025, at least 15 people died as the result of a firework accident, the agency reported. Many of these incidents involved misuse of the device, misfires and/or malfunctions. Those aged 15 to 24 years old accounted for the majority of the injured.
With this annual occurrence, local authorities have taken to warning their residents about the dangers and risks. Miami-Dade County, where Leesfield & Partners first opened in 1976, issued a notice on its website pertaining to firework safety.
Citing data from the National Fire Protection Association, they wrote that nearly half of the 10,000 firework-related injuries in the U.S. involved children under 15 years old. Those who are most at risk are children from 5 to 14 years old. Fireworks are the cause of approximately 20,000 fires annually and cause an estimated $100 million in property damage.
In Broward County, local fire and police agencies are likewise publishing their own notices and cautioning residents about firework safety. Last year, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue reported no firework-related injuries, and their aim is to keep that number in 2026, according to reporting from CBS News.
Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury law firm with five decades of experience representing injured people and grieving families throughout Florida, is joining in to caution residents to celebrate responsibly this Independence Day.
“Fireworks are a traditional part of Fourth of July celebrations, but they are not without their risks if mishandled,” said Partner Justin B. Shapiro. “The Fourth of July is cause for celebration, but let’s be sure to avoid turning the celebration into a tragedy.”
Safety Tips
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. This includes sparklers.
- A water source, such as a bucket of water or a fire hose, should be kept nearby in case of an emergency.
- It is recommended to keep a standard ABC-rated, dry chemical extinguisher nearby in case stray sparks ignite nearby grass or foliage.
- Never purchase or use illegal fireworks.
- Fireworks should only be lit one at a time and never in groups. Once lit, ensure that you move back quickly and maintain a safe distance. Do not wear loose-fitting or flowy clothing when handling pyrotechnics.
- If fireworks appear to not have ignited fully, be sure to extinguish them. Do not try to pick them up or re-light them.
- Never use fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Leesfield & Partners
From faulty products to a resort’s failure to maintain its gas lines, Leesfield & Partners has seen just about every instance of negligence imaginable, and the tragic consequences our clients have suffered as a result. In five decades, our skilled trial attorneys have secured numerous record and historic verdicts throughout the state, earning the firm nationwide recognition. Our attorneys represent every client with the diligence, compassion, and tenacity necessary to achieve the best possible outcome in every case.
Under Florida law, landlords, homeowners, hotels, and others responsible for a property have important legal duties to help keep people safe. Per the state’s premises liability law, property owners and managers must maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. When a dangerous condition exists, they have a duty of care to repair it within a reasonable time or, at minimum, to warn guests, tenants, and other invitees to the property — such as workers making repairs or conducting inspections — of the potential hazard.
Previous Burn and Fire Cases
Leesfield & Partners previously handled a case involving the fire deaths of a mother and her two children. The three had become trapped in a blaze that broke out at their rental home, which was caused by a defective electrical outlet. Despite previously notifying their landlord about difficulty opening windows, the issue went unaddressed. On the day of the fire, the mother and children were unable to open the windows to escape and perished.
Trial Attorney Eric Shane secured a multi-million-dollar settlement for a client who was burned in an electrocution case.
In an explosion case that started from a spark aboard a cargo ship, Leesfield & Partners secured a substantial award for clients who were badly burned.
For a couple celebrating their honeymoon, what was meant to be the start of their happy life together soon became a nightmare after an improperly capped pipe caused an explosion at their accommodation. Both were severely burned and, tragically, the wife passed away from her injuries.
The firm secured a multi-million-dollar for the husband in that case.
In an explosion that caused burns, Leesfield & Partners secured a $3.25 million recovery for the injured client.
Leesfield & Partners secured a $2.95 million award for a family who lost their 13-year-old daughter after a TV set caught fire in their home. The manufacturer of the defective television set was named as a defendant in the lawsuit alongside the distributor of a defective smoke alarm and the family’s condominium association, which was named in the lawsuit for safety violations. The father involved in this incident burned over 30% of his body when he tried to rescue his daughter.
A construction site accident that resulted in burns to a Leesfield & Partners client resulted in an $862,000 recovery.
In a fire that killed at least one person due to the negligence of a company, Leesfield & Partners secured a $600,00 recovery.
For a patient who was burned in an operating room due to the negligence of a hospital’s medical staff. Attorneys at the firm secured a $600,000 recovery.
The firm has also handled other cases involving burn injuries to clients, including a child who was burned at a neighbor’s home by stew that was cooking on the stove. The child in that case, an 11-year-old boy, sustained second-degree burns to his legs when the improperly installed range tipped forward on him. An investigation by our firm determined that the landlord’s failure to use anti-tip brackets paved the way for the incident to occur.
Leesfield & Partners secured a $300,000 settlement in that case.
