Senate Bill 0008

    Florida Senate - 2000        (NP)                         SB 8

    By Senator Holzendorf





    2-47B-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to St. Johns County; providing

  3         for the relief of William D. Mock and Susan G.

  4         Mock; providing for an appropriation to

  5         compensate them for injuries sustained as a

  6         result of the negligence of St. Johns County;

  7         providing an effective date.

  8

  9         WHEREAS, on the afternoon of March 29, 1997, Bill Mock

10  was riding his motorcycle south on A1A near the Jacksonville

11  beaches, and

12         WHEREAS, while riding his motorcycle in a lawful

13  manner, Bill Mock entered and proceeded through an

14  intersection on a green light, and

15         WHEREAS, unbeknownst to Bill Mock, a St. Johns County

16  ambulance traveling in the opposite direction made a left turn

17  at the same intersection, across four lanes of oncoming

18  traffic, and

19         WHEREAS, when the ambulance driver saw Bill Mock, he

20  stopped, causing Bill Mock's motorcycle to crash into the left

21  side of the 9000-lb. ambulance truck, and

22         WHEREAS, under federal, state, and county emergency

23  vehicle operation procedures, emergency vehicles are

24  prohibited from making a left-hand turn in front of oncoming

25  traffic until the emergency vehicle driver makes eye contact

26  with the other driver and the other driver yields, and

27         WHEREAS, at the scene of the accident, Bill Mock was

28  transported via Life Flight helicopter to University Medical

29  Center where he was hospitalized in the intensive care unit

30  for over 2 weeks, and

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000        (NP)                         SB 8
    2-47B-00




  1         WHEREAS, Bill Mock continued his hospitalization for an

  2  additional 6 weeks at the Genesis Rehabilitation Center for

  3  comprehensive inpatient brain injury rehabilitation, and

  4         WHEREAS, Bill Mock suffered numerous permanent injuries

  5  and disfigurement, including brain damage, loss of sense of

  6  smell and taste, blindness in one eye, fractured skull,

  7  fractured neck and back, broken collar bone, fractured jaw,

  8  fractured shoulder, and shattered left face, and

  9         WHEREAS, Bill Mock's medical bills exceed $194,000, and

10         WHEREAS, as a result of his injuries, Bill Mock was

11  unable to continue his employment with the employment

12  consulting firm for which he served as Vice President, and

13         WHEREAS, although Bill Mock continues to work in his

14  field, doing business out of his home, he cannot operate at

15  the executive level where he previously functioned and his

16  yearly income has been reduced by more than 60 percent, and

17         WHEREAS, due to his physical and mental limitations,

18  Bill Mock and his wife, Susan Mock, can no longer enjoy the

19  activities they once enjoyed, and

20         WHEREAS, in order to pay their bills and make ends

21  meet, the Mocks have had to deplete all of their retirement

22  savings and their financial picture is bleak, and

23         WHEREAS, a lawsuit was filed against St. Johns County

24  on November 12, 1997, and

25         WHEREAS, one month prior to trial, a stipulated

26  settlement was reached in which St. Johns County agreed to pay

27  Bill Mock and Susan Mock a total of $360,000 to settle this

28  dispute, and

29         WHEREAS, St. Johns County has paid $190,000 to Bill

30  Mock and Susan Mock, pursuant to the limits of liability set

31  forth in section 768.28, Florida Statutes, and agrees to

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000        (NP)                         SB 8
    2-47B-00




  1  support a claim bill in the amount of $170,000, NOW,

  2  THEREFORE,

  3

  4  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  5

  6         Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this

  7  act are found and declared to be true.

  8         Section 2.  St. Johns County is authorized and directed

  9  to appropriate from funds of the county not otherwise

10  appropriated and to draw a warrant in the sum of $170,000

11  payable to William D. Mock and Susan G. Mock as compensation

12  for injuries sustained due to the negligence of St. Johns

13  County.

14         Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2000.

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