Senate Bill sb0066e1
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SB 66 First Engrossed
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.
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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 could
15 not be steered and left more than 200 feet of skid marks as
16 it, in effect, followed Alfred Brinkley Roberts out of the
17 travel lane and into an unmarked parking zone, where the
18 actual impact took place, and
19 WHEREAS, Alfred Brinkley Roberts' injuries were extreme
20 and included massive brain and orthopedic injuries,
21 incontinence, and confinement for the rest of his life to a
22 wheelchair, and
23 WHEREAS, the police officer operating the cruiser was
24 investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department's
25 Internal Affairs, which found the officer to be at fault for
26 causing the accident, and
27 WHEREAS, at the time of the accident, Alfred Brinkley
28 Roberts had alcohol present in his system; however, it was
29 shown at trial that it would have been impossible for any
30 person to have avoided the swerving, out-of-control cruiser,
31 and
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SB 66 First Engrossed
1 WHEREAS, after a lengthy trial, the jury awarded Alfred
2 Brinkley Roberts $1,267,735.05, which was reduced by 20
3 percent to $1,014,188.04, for comparative negligence, and
4 WHEREAS, following the trial, the parties entered into
5 a settlement agreement in October 2000 that provides for a
6 total payment of $764,958.37, less amounts previously paid by
7 the City of St. Petersburg, for a net additional amount of
8 $655,346.97, and
9 WHEREAS, Alfred Brinkley Roberts has outstanding
10 medical bills and liens that include, but are not limited to,
11 $230,239.86 to Bayfront Medical Center, $6,235 to Dr. Clinton
12 B. Davis, II, and $153,621 to the Veterans Administration, and
13 WHEREAS, Alfred Brinkley Roberts also owes his attorney
14 for legal services rendered during the 9 years that he has
15 been pursuing compensation for his injuries and also needs
16 funds for his care for the duration of his life, NOW,
17 THEREFORE,
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19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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21 Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this
22 act are found and declared to be true.
23 Section 2. The City of St. Petersburg is authorized
24 and directed to appropriate from funds of the city not
25 otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant in the sum of
26 $655,346.97 payable to Alfred Brinkley Roberts to compensate
27 him for injuries and damages sustained. After payment of
28 Alfred Brinkley Roberts' outstanding medical bills, medical
29 liens, and attorney's fees, the remaining proceeds shall be
30 used to provide for the care of Alfred Brinkley Roberts for
31 the duration of his life.
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SB 66 First Engrossed
1 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
2 law.
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