Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Officers from the Port St. Lucie Police Department say that approximately 50 people came to town for a planned “street takeover” in the area, with some even traveling from Palm Beach and Tampa.
When the “lawless” brigade arrived, however, officers were ready to greet them.
The incident happened over the weekend after police discovered chatter online about a planned meetup near SW Village Parkway and SW Crosstown Parkway. Those who showed up included both minors and adults.
At least three people face crimi9nal charges that varied from eluding and evading law enforcement officers, operating an unregistered motorcycle and not having a driver’s license. More than a dozen traffic citations were written for several traffic violations and six criminal traffic citations were given for operating unregistered vehicles, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
Police towed at least eight e-dirt bikes from the scene, and anyone arriving after officers were already on-site — many with bikes loaded on trailers — was turned away.
“Our message is clear, lawless street takeovers will not be tolerated in Port St. Lucie,” PSLPD said via social media.
Leesfield & Partners
For about the last decade, Ira Leesfield, the Founder and Managing Partner of Leesfield & Partners, has condemned the use of E-bikes which have soared in popularity in that time.
“Being unsightly may not be unforgivable, but landing innocent pedestrians or others in a neurosurgical coma is,” Mr. Leesfield said in his 2019 Op-Ed about the micro mobility devices. “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.”
With nearly five decades of personal injury experience, Mr. Leesfield and the attorneys at his firm know just how dangerous these micromobility devices can be. With no mandated helmet usage, minimum age or insurance requirements, the injuries that continue to sprout from incidents involving e-bike and e-scooters are staggering.
In the U.S., data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission states that there was a 21% increase from 2021 to 2022 in injuries involving these electric modes of transportation in the United States. Minors 14 years old and younger make up a “significant” amount of the reported injuries, according to reporting from CBS Miami.
The CPSC also reported that, in addition to crashes, the e-bikes also have issues with fires. Electric vehicle fires can burn hotter and longer than gas-powered fires and can be more difficult to put out and pose a significant threat to firefighters. While EV fires occur less frequently than traditional gas fires, they take a considerable amount of time and more water to put out. From January 2021 until November 2022, the CPSC reported at least 19 deaths as a result of fires involving the micro-mobility machines.
Last week, the University of Miami announced it was banning the micromobility devices from certain areas on campus ahead of the fall semester. This news came following the tragic death of an e-bike rider in Miami Beach.
By regularly speaking out about issues like those he has seen with E-bikes, Mr. Leesfield has become a public safety advocate. Through initiatives like the safety advisories displayed on the digital sign outside the firm’s Miami office on U.S. 1—a major commuter route — he raises awareness on critical safety concerns. Additionally, through The Leesfield Family Foundation, Mr. Leesfield partners with local organizations to tackle pressing issues such as impaired driving, sex abuse, pedestrian safety, and more, reinforcing his commitment to making communities safer for all.
Previous Cases
Leesfield & Partners has handled all manner of injuries caused as the result of road incidents in Florida for nearly five decades. In that time, the firm has secured millions on behalf of injured cyclists and pedestrians. In a bid to raise awareness about road and pedestrian safety, Mr. Leesfield has periodically posted public safety advisories on the digital board outside of the firm’s Miami office, which sits on U.S. 1 and is seen by thousands of commuters each day. Additionally, Mr. Leesfield has also teamed up with organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Friends of The Underline through his charitable organization, The Leesfield Family Foundation.
A case involving a bicyclist who was hit while stopped on the shoulder of the Overseas Highway in Key West resulted in a $5,350,000 settlement for the client. In that case, the bicyclist who was stopped on the side of the road was hit by a driver who was distracted by their car’s GPS.
A pedestrian-involved incident handled by the firm resulted in the maximum recovery amount of $6 million awarded to our injured client. In that case, a woman was walking back to her office following a mid-day break when she was struck by a truck making an illegal left turn whose driver claimed not to see her in the marked crosswalk. The woman had severe injuries including skull fractures and brain hemorrhages as a result of the driver’s negligence.
For a Toronto family, a vacation to Fort Myers turned into a nightmare after a pickup truck driver failed to see a young wife and mother attempting to cross the street. Leesfield & Partners attorneys recovered an $8.5 million settlement for the family following a $27 million arbitration award.
Another pedestrian-involved incident handled by the firm resulted in a $2.9 million recovery.
The firm previously recovered $3 million for a mother and son injured in a bicycle incident.
