Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
A scooter driver remains in critical condition and their passenger was killed after a crash on Florida’s Turnpike in Broward County, local news outlets reported Wednesday.
The crash happened before 3 p.m. Saturday in the southbound lanes at mile market 55. The scooter driver, a 21-year-old Miami man, was in the center lane and switched lanes into the path of a Ford van driven by another man, 27, of Davie.
The van hit the back of the scooter, causing it to become trapped underneath the moving vehicle along with its driver and passenger. The driver of the van pulled to the inside lane, where, officials with Florida Highway Patrol told reporters with The Miami Herald, the passenger became “dislodged.”
The scooter driver remained in critical condition at Memorial Regional Hospital Wednesday.
The identity of the passenger has not been released.
The crash is under investigation by FHP.
Leesfield & Partners
In over 48 years of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have learned that a regular drive can quickly turn into a family’s worst nightmare. From negligent, reckless drivers to mechanical malfunctions and faulty road construction, this firm has seen just about every injury that can occur on Florida roads. With offices in Miami, Key West, and Orlando, Leesfield & Partners has represented countless Florida residents and tourists alike, securing record verdicts and settlements for clients all over the state.
Our skilled attorneys work tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome for every client. Several record cases include an over $95 million verdict for a family who lost their daughter and whose son incurred life-altering injuries after a drunk driver hit them in a head-on collision, a recovery of more than $36 million for a family who lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident, and a $29.7 million recovery in a road construction case.
The $95,527,108 wrongful death case mentioned above marks the largest motor vehicle recovery in Miami-Dade County and the fourth-largest of its kind in state history. The family in that case was forever fractured when a drunk driver was speeding the wrong way on I-95 and hit our clients’ car. Our clients were on their way to the airport to drop off their daughter at her medical school’s orientation. Tragically, their daughter did not survive. She was 23.
Their son, 21 years old, suffered catastrophic injuries that have left him requiring a wheelchair, unable to speak and needing round-the-clock care.
A jury awarded $57 million to the son and $38 million to the parents.
“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.”
Previous Cases
Previously, the firm represented a Fort Lauderdale handyman who was severely injured when the car he was in was stopped at a drawbridge and hit from behind by a reckless, speeding driver. In that case, our 22-year-old client suffered skull fractures, frontal lobe brain damage and facial fractures. He was left with brain damage and later developed a seizure disorder from his injuries.
Our client was awarded $15.4 million thanks to the efforts of Leesfield & Partners attorneys.
In an accident involving a pedestrian, a young wife and mother of two was killed while vacationing in Fort Myers from Toronto, Canada, Leesfield & Partners secured an $8.5 million settlement with the defendant following a $27 million arbitration award. In that crash, the woman was attempting to cross the street when she was crushed by a pickup truck. The driver claimed not to have seen her.
Another pedestrian represented by Leesfield & Partners was awarded a $6 million settlement, the maximum insurance policy limit. That case was handled by Justin B. Shapiro, a Partner and Trial lawyer at the firm. In that case, the client was walking back to her office after a short break in broad daylight when she was hit in the pedestrian crosswalk by a pickup driver making an illegal left turn. The woman was hit with the steel bars on the front end of the truck and sustained agonizing injuries that included skull fractures and a brain hemorrhage. Her left leg was also injured in the incident.
The firm also secured a $2.9 million award for a pedestrian hit by a negligent driver.
Another pedestrian who was walking on the sidewalk when he was hit by a distracted driver using a cell phone was awarded a $1.5 million settlement thanks to Leesfield & Partners attorneys.
Florida Crash Stats
In Miami-Dade County, where Leesfield & Partners’ headquarters is located, there have been nearly 21,000 crashes thus far in 2025. Of these crashes, approximately 88 people have died and over 10,200 others suffered injuries. These crashes have involved the deaths of 26 motorcyclists, five bicyclists, and over 700 pedestrians. At least five people were killed in hit-and-run crashes so far in 2025.
In 2024, there were nearly 60,000 crashes with 285 deaths and 29,349 injuries. At least 19 bicyclists were killed along with 65 motorcyclists and 76 pedestrians. At least 32 people died in hit-and-run crashes in the area.
