Premises Liability

Published on: June 18, 2026

Flesh-Eating Bacteria in South Florida? What to Know.

Exposure to rare, flesh-eating bacteria is akin to the plotlines found in sci-fi novels; in Florida, however, it is a horrifying reality, health officials say.

Five cases have been confirmed in the Sunshine State in 2026 so far. At least one case was in Miami-Dade County, Florida Department Health officials told reporters with CBS Miami. Vibrio vulnificus is an infection resulting from the naturally occurring bacteria. Infections can occur in one of two ways — eating raw or undercooked shellfish, or by exposing open wounds to seawater or seafood containing the bacteria.

In 2025, five people were killed as the result of injuries related to flesh-eating bacteria exposure. In all, there were 33 confirmed cases for that year. In 2024, there were 19 deaths and 82 infections, marking the highest number of deaths from flesh-eating bacteria since at least 2016. As of mid-June 2026, no deaths have been reported.

Published on: March 17, 2026

Travelers in Miami Can Snooze in Nap Rooms. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Anyone who has set foot in an airport has seen the lengths that weary travelers will go to get some good shuteye.

Somnolent passengers spread out across chairs, drape jackets over their heads and even stretch out on the floor in desperate attempts to sleep while they wait in bustling airport terminals. For those visiting the Miami airport, this struggle will be a thing of the past, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

At least 15 rooms with beds were opened earlier this month in the north terminal, near Gate D15 near the Admirals Club, the newspaper reported. These rooms, operated by Wait n’ Rest, will be available to passengers 24/7.

Published on: February 10, 2026

Florida Home’s Possible Carbon Monoxide Leak Kills Four, Including Children. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Police are citing carbon monoxide poisoning as a possible cause of death for four people, including two children, who were found inside a Marion County home Friday, Feb. 6.

The bodies were found Friday night after police were called out to the home on Banyan Track Way for a wellness check, according to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida.

No official cause of death has been released by the coroner’s office. Police did tell reporters that no foul play is suspected and that they believed the family had died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Published on: January 23, 2026

Viral Online Videos Show Mayhem at Free Concert Featuring Artists Such as Calvin Harris and John Summit.

By Leesfield & Partners

Pushing, hordes of people crushed into a tight space and pandemonium are what can be seen in various clips that have gone viral online of the free Miami Beach concert over the weekend.

The event, allegedly featuring artists such as Calvin Harris and John Summit, was hosted by AT&T in partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship. Ahead of the weekend, barriers and other accommodations were seen being set up in Miami Beach ahead of the weekend in anticipation of about 20,000 people, according to reporting from The Miami New Times. However, as news spread of the free, all-ages event, it became clear that the crowd that had amassed was far larger than expected.

An estimated 30,000 people arrived at the event location, the outlet reported. Crowds can be seen rushing security and storming through barricades until police officers rushed to stop the crowd. At one point in the night, organizers issued a statement alerting concertgoers that they were at maximum capacity and would not be permitting anyone else to enter.

Published on: September 24, 2025

Nearly 100 People Displaced by Fire at Miami Beach Hostel. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

About 100 people were displaced after a fire broke out at a Miami Beach hostel Monday night, officials say.

Firefighters were called out to the South Beach Rooms and Hostel at 236 Ninth St around 5:15 p.m., according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The fire was contained to the second floor and was extinguished.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Published on: August 7, 2025

Warehouse Roof Collapses Near Miami Airport Tuesday. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A warehouse roof collapse near Miami International Airport Tuesday afternoon spurred a search with fire crews and rescue dogs on the property, ready to examine the area, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

As of 4 p.m., everyone inside the warehouse had been accounted for and no injuries were reported.

The incident happened around 1:20 p.m. at 1955 NW 72^nd Ave., according to local media. The size of the cave-in was about 80 feet by 25 feet.

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: October 31, 2024

Leesfield & Partners Attorney Recovers $350,000 for Woman Who Shattered her Hip at a Florida Tourist Attraction

By Leesfield & Partners

Evan Robinson, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Lawyer, secured a $350,000 settlement for a woman who shattered her hip as a result of a violent fall at a Monroe County tourist attraction.

Our client visited the popular tourist attraction while on vacation in the Keys with her husband. As the couple navigated the property’s narrow and crowded walkway, that was supposed to be flanked with gravel on both sides, our client stepped off the edge of the walkway and into a trench in an area where there was no gravel. As a result, our client lost her balance and fell violently onto the concrete ground, causing an injury that would forever alter her previously active lifestyle.

During the course of the litigation, Mr. Robinson learned that the walkway on which our client fell posed a dangerous hazard that was well-known to numerous employees and managers who worked at the attraction. Specifically, the frequent displacement of gravel caused by visitors constantly kicking it around resulted in the walkway repeatedly becoming unlevel. This recurring hazard presented such a serious danger that it required daily inspections and maintenance for over 16 years. In fact, every employee who worked at the attraction was instructed to keep watch over this area and bags of additional gravel were kept on site so that maintenance personnel could re-level the walkway when the gravel was displaced.

Published on: September 6, 2024

Leesfield & Partners secured over $1.8 million for a man left with debilitating pain after a fall at a Florida vacation rental

By Leesfield & Partners

Justin B. Shapiro, a Partner and Trial Lawyer with Leesfield & Partners, secured a $1,824,327 record settlement for a client whose fall left his pelvic bone so shattered doctors said the fragments resembled “bread crumbs.”

In an article published in the Daily Business Review, Mr. Shapiro told reporters that within the first hour of speaking with this client he could tell the man was a wonderful person and decided to take on the case, which two law firms had already rejected, because “when we dig in, we don’t stop until our client is made whole.”

“We turned an enormously challenging case into a seven-figure recovery,” he said. “I’m proud to say that I don’t know of any settlement or verdict in Florida larger than this for a fall in a shower.”

Published on: July 18, 2024

‘Nearly as slippery as ice:’ Leesfield & Partners secures a $300,000 settlement for a client who suffered a violent fall at a Florida resort

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners attorneys, including Partner, Justin B. Shapiro, and Trial Lawyer, Evan Robinson, recently secured a $300,000 settlement for a client who suffered a traumatic fall at a Florida resort, causing him to shatter his wrist so severely it required painful reconstructive surgery with the implantation of metal hardware.

Our client fell in the bathroom of the resort’s main pool area, which employees described as being “constantly wet” from guests tracking in water from nearby showers, pools and hot tubs. Although a drain in the bathroom floor should have allowed this water to pass through it, the drain was not functioning properly on the day of our client’s fall, leaving a pool of dirty water that created dangerous, wet conditions. To make matters worse, the resort installed tiles in the bathroom that were so smooth and slippery when wet that our expert engineer who examined and tested the tiles described them as being “nearly as slippery as ice.”

On the day of our client’s fall, the bathroom floor was soaked with dirty water and littered with wet toilet paper and towels. The fall resulted in our client shattering his wrist, requiring him to undergo reconstructive surgery and the installation of metal hardware. Moreover, as a result of his fall, our client was diagnosed with De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis Syndrome, a condition that causes extreme pain and dysfunction due to nerve damage in the hand and wrist.