Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Following a multi-car pileup on the highway that left her hospitalized and unsure if she would ever walk again, J.D. is still anxious to get back on the highway.
What was meant to be a long car ride back home, recounting memories made during a family trip, quickly turned into a traumatic experience she would never forget.
Suddenly, her world went from chatting with her little brother from the front passenger seat to the terrifying sounds of scraping metal. Her family’s rental car, which was being driven by her mother, was slammed from behind by a tractor-trailer weighing thousands of pounds. The result was a multi-car crash that changed her life forever.
“This trauma lives with her,” said Eric Shane, the Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney who handled the case. “She is a wonderful, 25-year-old woman whose entire life changed in an instant.”
Throughout a months-long hospitalization, she underwent multiple surgeries and had to have portions of her spine removed. This left her as an incomplete quadriplegic, meaning she was unable to use her hands or move her legs.
Today, the thought of getting on the highway leaves her severely distressed, a common side effect experienced by those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
For more than five decades, Leesfield & Partners has represented the victims and survivors of catastrophic incidents ranging from horrific sexual assaults and other violent crimes to traumatic motor vehicle accidents. Our attorneys are well aware that the emotional wounds left behind by a catastrophic incident can have just as much or more of a negative impact on the clients they represent than the physical ones.
While PTSD may not be as visible an injury as a broken tibia or a severe wound, its effects are undeniable, said Ira Leesfield, Founder and Managing Partner of the firm.
“Acknowledging that psychological harm is real is critical to understanding the full impact of trauma on our clients’ lives,” he said.
In recognition of PTSD Awareness Month this June, we honor survivors of trauma and reaffirm our commitment to supporting those living with and recovering from its effects due to the negligence of others.
Common symptoms include:
- Flashbacks
- Intrusive thoughts or distressing memories
- Nightmares
- Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event
- Feeling detached or emotionally numb
- Negative changes in mood or thinking (such as persistent guilt, fear, or hopelessness)
- Hypervigilance (being constantly on guard)
- Being easily startled
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety or irritability
Previous Cases
And these symptoms are far from uncommon for many of the clients represented by Leesfield & Partners. Mr. Shane has represented numerous victims of Legionnaires’ Disease — a severe form of pneumonia resulting from the legionella bacteria — who experience similar anxieties about traveling.
“They’re afraid to travel and get sick far from home,” he said. “This experience has made them prisoners of their own home.”
This intense fear has similarly impacted numerous clients of Trial Attorney Carlos A. Fabano, who has represented countless victims of medical malpractice and negligence. These clients have developed fears of hospitals, medical professionals, and of falling ill. Currently, he is representing the family of a woman who died in childbirth after the hospital failed to adequately stock its blood bank with the required blood type, resulting in her death and leaving behind three children.
For four men who were sexually abused as children by the same clergyman associated with their parochial schools, the effects from their trauma have followed them for decades. Though they had started families of their own, the impacts of the atrocities they endured continued to impact them. While holding responsible parties accountable would never erase the emotional and physical wounds caused by this individual, it was a first step toward healing for these men.
These cases, the results of which are confidential, were handled by Mr. Leesfield and Mr. Fabano.
Mr. Leesfield also handled a sexual abuse case involving a camp counselor who was preying on the children he was tasked with protecting. Numerous camp officials failed to intervene and ignored the glaringly obvious warning signs of this counselor’s predatory behavior.
Mr. Leesfield recovered $8.6 million in damages in that case.
A different case involving sexual assault handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Evan Robinson resulted in a $2 million recovery.
Mr. Shapiro previously represented an elderly New York couple who were brutally attacked at their Miami hotel. The assailant in that case viciously beat both victims. He also raped and sexually assaulted the wife. Management had disregarded repeated recommendations from both law enforcement and a private security firm to employ armed security personnel despite a known history of violent incidents on the property.
On the day of the incident, the attacker gained unrestricted access to the hotel due to the absence of basic safety measures, such as functioning locks or keycard-secured elevators. He went up to the couple’s floor, where he launched a violent assault — first attacking the husband, then brutally beating and raping the wife. Disturbingly, hotel staff and on-site security witnessed parts of the attack but failed to intervene.
The case was settled for $16 million.
Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II are representing a couple and their friend who were held hostage at gunpoint while at their luxury Miami condo. The man entered the apartment complex without being questioned by security and was able to travel up to the couples’ floor where he encountered our female client who was throwing out the trash. Terrified of the gunman, she brought him back to her apartment where he forced them to wire him money and pistol-whipped one of the men. This caused a severe and painful laceration and concussion.
The fear they experienced during that incident “does not go away,” they previously told reporters at a press conference.
Mr. Pimentel is also representing two City of Doral police officers who suffer from PTSD after witnessing a shooting while on off-duty detail. At least two people died and several others were injured after a lapse in security allowed the gunman to enter the bar with his weapon.
“It is our opinion that the tragic events of that evening were not only preventable but highlight a significant lapse in ensuring the safety of both the bar’s patrons and responding officers,” Mr. Pimentel said. “Had appropriate security measures been in place, the lives of those present, including Officer Romo and Officer Acevedo, would not have been put in such peril.”
If you or someone you know is struggling after a traumatic event, resources are available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for support.
If you were injured in Florida, don’t wait. Call Leesfield & Partners at 305-854-4900 to learn whether you may be eligible to make a claim.
