Senate Bill sb0066

    Florida Senate - 2001        (NP)                        SB 66

    By Senator Sullivan





    22-56-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the City of St. Petersburg;

  3         providing for the relief of Alfred Brinkley

  4         Roberts; authorizing and directing the City of

  5         St. Petersburg to compensate him for injuries

  6         suffered due to the negligence of an employee

  7         of the city; providing an effective date.

  8

  9         WHEREAS, on August 31, 1991, Alfred Brinkley Roberts

10  was walking across Ninth Avenue South, near 15th Street, in

11  St. Petersburg, when he was struck by a police cruiser that

12  had been traveling at a speed in excess of 65 miles per hour

13  in a 35-mile-per-hour zone, and

14         WHEREAS, due to its sliding wheels, the cruiser was not

15  steerable and left more than 200 feet of skid marks as it, in

16  effect, followed Mr. Roberts out of the travel lane and into

17  an unmarked parking zone, where the actual impact took place,

18  and

19         WHEREAS, Mr. Roberts' injuries were extreme and

20  included massive brain and orthopedic injuries, incontinence,

21  and confinement for the rest of his life to a wheelchair, and

22         WHEREAS, the police officer operating the cruiser was

23  investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department's

24  Internal Affairs, which found the officer to be at fault for

25  causing the accident, and

26         WHEREAS, at the time of the accident, Mr. Roberts had

27  alcohol present in his system; however, it was shown at trial

28  that it would have been impossible for any person to have

29  avoided the swerving, out-of-control cruiser, and

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    Florida Senate - 2001        (NP)                        SB 66
    22-56-01




  1         WHEREAS, after a lengthy trial, the jury awarded Mr.

  2  Roberts $1,267,735.05, which was reduced by 20 percent, to

  3  $1,014,188.04, for comparative negligence, and

  4         WHEREAS, Mr. Roberts has outstanding medical bills and

  5  liens that include, but are not limited to, $230,239.86 to

  6  Bayfront Medical Center, $6,235 to Dr. Clinton B. Davis, II,

  7  and $153,621 to the Veterans Administration, and

  8         WHEREAS, Mr. Roberts also owes his attorney for legal

  9  services rendered during the 9 years that he has been pursuing

10  compensation for his injuries and also needs funds for his

11  care for the duration of his life, NOW, THEREFORE,

12

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

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

16  act are found and declared to be true.

17         Section 2.  The City of St. Petersburg is authorized

18  and directed to compensate Alfred Brinkley Roberts in the

19  amount of $1,014,188.04, out of funds of the city not

20  otherwise appropriated, which sum is to be used to satisfy Mr.

21  Roberts' medical liens and outstanding medical bills and

22  attorneys' fees, with the remainder, in the amount of

23  approximately $365,545.17, to be placed in a special needs

24  trust to provide for Mr. Roberts' care for the duration of his

25  life.

26         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

27  law.

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