Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Then man who was critically injured in a Rickenbacker Causeway bicycle accident last month has been identified as a well-known local orthopedic surgeon.
The incident happened on Saturday, Aug. 29, around 8:30 a.m. when 63-year-old Dr. Gilbert Beauperthuy-Rojas was hit by a driver as he pedaled along the Causeway — a six-laned toll road that sees roughly half a million cyclists and about 10 million vehicles annually, according to reporting from The Miami Herald and Florida International University’s Caplin News. He was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police in their investigation. Additional information, including the circumstances surrounding the crash have yet to be released.
A family member told reporters with NBC 6 South Florida that Beauperthuy-Rojas had cuts to his kidney and liver and could be paralyzed from the waist-down. An avid biker of nearly two decades, Beauperthuy-Rojas often participated in cycling with friends. His brother-in-law, a resident of Key Biscayne, told reporters with Channel 10 News that Beauperthuy-Rojas was the one who got him into cycling in 2010. On the day of the crash, Beauperthuy-Rojas was riding alone.
The investigation is ongoing.
Leesfield & Partners: Advocating for Safety on the Roads
Much has changed on the road since 1976 when Leesfield & Partners first opened its doors. Today, drivers and pedestrians face hazards such as texting motorists, speeding e-bikers swerving in and out of traffic, and those who are driving under the influence. The negligence of these individuals and their inattentiveness have resulted in countless crashes and horrific injuries for the clients of this law firm. From life-altering spinal injuries to the loss of a loved one, our attorneys know just how devastating the consequences of a motor vehicle accident can be. In five decades, we have represented pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists alike throughout some of the most complex and horrific cases in Florida.
Leesfield & Partners regularly represents cyclists who have been injured on Florida roads. In an ongoing case, Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II is representing a man who was ejected from his bicycle following a Monroe County crash with a commercial truck driver.
“This driver’s one moment of inattention has left my client with life-altering injuries,” Mr. Pimentel said. “This frightening incident has left him in severe pain, causing a disruption to his daily life and happiness.”
Florida, a state known for its warm weather and plethora of outdoor activities, has one of the worth pedestrian and bicycle death rates in the country, according to 2024 reporting from NBC 6 South Florida. From 2018 to 2022, there were 21 crashes involving bicyclists, 16 of which resulted in serious injuries. At least two people died. In response to such incidents in recent years, the county has made more visible bike lanes and lowered speed limits in some areas. Some cyclists told reporters that they ride on the inside of the Causeway’s concrete barrier rather than the marked bike lane for safety. NBC 6 reported that the county was given $16 million for safety enhancements as a part of the Biden Administration’s infrastructure law. Some of the money has been allocated to educate drivers.
This year, the state has experienced approximately 5,775 bicycle crashes and 8.811 pedestrian crashes as of September, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Crash Dashboard. These incidents resulted in 107 bicyclist fatalities and the death of 357 pedestrians. In Miami-Dade County, where Leesfield & Partners operates its flagship office, there have been nearly 600 bicycle crashes and 1,507 pedestrian crashes that have resulted in six bicyclist deaths and 39 pedestrian fatalities.
Ira Leesfield: Safety Advocate
In representing those injured in these types of crashes, our Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has become an outspoken advocate for safety. Through his family’s charitable organization, The Leesfield Family Foundation, Mr. Leesfield has partnered with agencies such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Friends of The Underline to improve hazardous conditions on Florida roads. While The Underline is a project that aims to transform the previously unused land underneath Miami’s Metrorail system, creating a community park and gathering space, it has also created a pathway for pedestrians and cyclists that is safe from traffic.
In December, Mr. Leesfield and The Underline celebrated the official opening of the Leesfield Family Garden across the street from the firm’s office at 2350 South Dixie Highway. At the center of the garden is “Estrella de Luz,” a bronze masterpiece by Pablo Atchugarry.
Of the project, Mr. Leesfield previously said it was “an honor to bring this vision to life” and improve walking and cycling conditions throughout the city.
“We should encourage our friends who want to participate in public art in a public space and who want to be involved in this 10-mile urban path to volunteer and get involved,” he said.
Mr. Leesfield’s advocacy has included denouncing the unregulated use of e-bikes, an issue plaguing cities all over the United States. At 30 mph, these micromobility devices are causing far more injuries than a traditional bicycle. No license, insurance, helmet usage, or other safety equipment is required to use e-bikes. Additionally, there is no statewide mandate on a minimum age requirement. This unregulated industry has continued to thrive while headlines of crashes with serious injuries and deaths continue to sprout up in the news, particularly with crashes involving adolescent riders.
“This isn’t about banning innovation, it’s about protecting people,” Mr. Leesfield has said.
Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that there were 117,600 injuries from these devices treated in emergency rooms from 2017 to 2021. In that time, 25% of these incidents involved young people from 15 to 24 years old. From 2020 to 2021, the agency found that there was a 66% increase in injuries as the popularity of these devices continued to soar. The Sun Sentinel reported a spike in e-bike accidents at Memorial Healthcare System in southern Broward County with more severe injuries. There was a 178% increase in e-bike and e-scooter trauma alerts from 2024 to 2025. Helmet use among those who were injured is low with 82% of those injured reporting that they were not wearing helmets at the time of their accident.
“[ In Florida,] we regulate the age and education of auto operators and even require insurance,” Mr. Leesfield said. “The E-bike operators and, more importantly, the distributors must play by some rules.”
The firm is currently representing a 21-year-old man who was severely injured on an e-scooter. He suffered a serious gash to his forehead and a horrific fracture to his left arm.
This case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro.
Previous Cycling Cases
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.
