Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Several people were trapped in their cars over the weekend in Broward County with at least five injuries, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
The crash happened just after 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, near the intersection of State Road 7 and Interstate 595. At least four cars were involved and trapped within their vehicles.
At least two people with serious injuries could not be identified and were taken to the hospital. One person went to Broward Health Medical Center and the other to Memorial Regional Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, the newspaper reported.
Additional information, including the conditions of the three remaining people involved in the crash and what caused the collision, were not immediately available Tuesday, April 14.
The investigation is ongoing.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has been representing injured clients and their grieving families for 50 years throughout Florida. From devastating fatal crashes to horrific pedestrian cases, our attorneys work tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome for every client. In decades of personal injury law, our attorneys have secured numerous verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients throughout some of the most complex cases in the state, earning the firm statewide and national recognition.
One such case involved a horrific head-on crash that forever shattered the lives of one family. The incident occurred while the family was on their way to drop off their daughter at the airport so that she could her medical school’s orientation. Due to the negligence of a drunk driver who was driving down the wrong side of I-95 and the bar that overserved him, this family suffered the tremendous and irreversible loss of their daughter. She was 23.
Also in the car was the family’s 21-year-old son. As a result of his injuries, the young man was left unable to speak, needing round-the-clock care and a wheelchair. The irreparable damage caused by the selfish actions of this individual forever changed this family’s life.
At trial, a jury awarded over $95 million to the family with $57 million going to the son and $38 million to the parents. This case represented the largest motor vehicle accident verdict in Miami-Dade County and was the fourth-largest accident-related verdict in state history.
“The result in this case shows what hard work and creative lawyering can do for clients with devastating injuries,” said Founder and Managing Partner Ira Leesfield. “Along with co-counsel Aaron Davis, we are happy to settle with two defendants and to obtain this record verdict for them.”
What to Do if You’re Injured in a Crash
- On the day of the accident, plaintiffs should ensure that they document as much as they can. This includes photographing the cars involved in the incident and photographing injuries.
- Crash victims should also write down exactly what happened and have everyone who was in the vehicle with them do the same.
- Be advised that your safety is paramount when collecting this evidence.
- 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.
- Finding a personal injury lawyer who will take on your case with the necessary diligence, tenacity, and understanding of the law should not be a hasty process.
- Get recommendations from friends and family and do your research.
- 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.
- 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.
Previous Leesfield & Partners Cases
Partner Justin B. Shapiro previously represented a family in a wrongful death motor vehicle case involving a pedestrian. A verdict of over $36 million was obtained for the family in that case.
Mr. Leesfield 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.
A $15.4 million recovery was obtained for a Fort Lauderdale handyman who was injured as a backseat passenger in a high-speed motor vehicle accident. The man in that case was in a car that was stopped at a drawbridge when another car hit it from behind, causing skull fractures, frontal lobe brain damage and facial fractures.
As a result of his injuries, our client developed a seizure disorder that could not be controlled by medication. This ended the then-22-year-old’s career as a handyman in the area.
Leesfield & Partners previously represented the families of three teenage girls after they were struck by a commercial truck driver making an illegal U-turn on the turnpike. The girls in that case were on their way to the library when the driver turned directly into their path. Tragically, one girl was killed and the other two sustained serious injuries.
Our attorneys worked tirelessly to settle the case for over $8.6 million for the families. The firm also obtained an over $7.6 million arbitration award for the family who lost their daughter.
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.
In another pedestrian-involved case, Leesfield & Partners obtained a $2.9 million recovery our client who was injured due to a driver’s negligence.
The firm previously settled a pedestrian case for $1.2 million. The pedestrian in this case was a child who was hit while attempting to cross a street in Fort Lauderdale. As a result of the crash, our minor client hit his head on the pavement and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
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.
Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II 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.
Trial Lawyer Eric Shane recently obtained a confidential amount for a young passenger who was injured in a severe Florida crash.
Mr. Pimentel also settled a confidential case on behalf of a family whose 5-year-old son suffered serious injuries when he was hit by a car that crashed through the front of a Florida discount store.
Evan Robinson, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, previously secured a six-figure settlement on behalf of a client was injured in a Monroe County car accident.
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.
