House Bill hb0191
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 191
By Representative Smith
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Hillsborough County
3 School Board; providing for the relief of Alana
4 Kelly and Richard F. Taylor, Sr.; providing for
5 an appropriation to compensate them for the
6 death of their son, Richard F. Taylor, Jr.,
7 caused by the negligence of a Hillsborough
8 County School Board employee; providing an
9 effective date.
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11 WHEREAS, on April 24, 1998, 21-year-old Richard F.
12 Taylor, Jr., was driving his motorcycle in a lawful manner
13 heading south on U.S. 301 in Hillsborough County, and
14 WHEREAS, at the same time, a Hillsborough County school
15 bus operated by a driver employed by the Hillsborough County
16 School Board pulled out from a stop sign and attempted to
17 cross the southbound lanes of U.S. 301 directly in the path of
18 Richard Taylor's motorcycle, and
19 WHEREAS, although Mr. Taylor attempted to stop his
20 motorcycle from colliding with the bus, he was unable to do
21 so, and
22 WHEREAS, as a result of the collision of the school bus
23 with his motorcycle, Mr. Taylor suffered trauma to the head
24 and was pronounced dead at the scene, and
25 WHEREAS, an eyewitness to the accident observed the
26 school bus pull out in front of the motorcycle in violation of
27 the motorcycle's right-of-way, observed the motorcycle attempt
28 to stop, and observed the collision, and
29 WHEREAS, Richard F. Taylor, Jr., was survived by his
30 mother, Alana Kelly, and his father, Richard F. Taylor, Sr.,
31 who have lost their only son and their only child, and
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 191
727-126-01
1 WHEREAS, a lawsuit was filed against the Hillsborough
2 County School Board for the wrongful death of Richard F.
3 Taylor, Jr., and
4 WHEREAS, at the conclusion of the trial, the jury found
5 the Hillsborough County School Board 75 percent at fault for
6 the death of Richard F. Taylor, Jr. and entered a verdict for
7 $402,444, and
8 WHEREAS, after proper reductions for comparative fault,
9 the judge entered a final judgment in favor of the claimants
10 for a total of $301,833, and
11 WHEREAS, the Hillsborough County School Board did not
12 appeal the verdict and judgment, and
13 WHEREAS, the Hillsborough County School Board has paid
14 $200,000 to the claimants pursuant to the limits of liability
15 set forth in section 768.28, Florida Statutes, leaving an
16 unpaid judgment amount of $101,833, NOW, THEREFORE,
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18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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20 Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this
21 act are found and declared to be true.
22 Section 2. The Hillsborough County School Board is
23 authorized and directed to appropriate from funds of the
24 school board not otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant
25 in the sum of $50,000 payable to Alana Kelly, as compensation
26 for the death of her son, Richard F. Taylor, Jr., due to the
27 negligence of the Hillsborough County School Board.
28 Section 3. The Hillsborough County School Board is
29 authorized and directed to appropriate from funds of the
30 school board not otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant
31 in the sum of $51,833 payable to Richard F. Taylor, Sr., as
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 191
727-126-01
1 compensation for the death of his son, Richard F. Taylor, Jr.,
2 due to the negligence of the Hillsborough County School Board.
3 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
4 law.
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