Senate Bill sb0062

    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                        SB 62

    By Senator Meek





    36-69A-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Miami-Dade County; providing

  3         for the relief of Millie Jackson for injuries

  4         and damages sustained by her as a result of

  5         negligent acts by an employee of the county;

  6         providing an effective date.

  7

  8         WHEREAS, on December 7, 1999, Millie Jackson was a

  9  passenger on a bus operated by Miami-Dade County, and

10         WHEREAS, the bus on which she was a passenger collided

11  with a police vehicle that also was owned by Miami-Dade

12  County, and

13         WHEREAS, an extensive investigation of the collision

14  concluded that the bus operator failed to exercise caution,

15  for which the operator was cited for running a red light, and

16         WHEREAS, as a result of that collision, the officer

17  operating the police vehicle was killed and Ms. Jackson

18  sustained injuries for which she received emergency treatment

19  following the collision, and

20         WHEREAS, Ms. Jackson has continued to undergo treatment

21  for her injuries, including neck, shoulder, and low back pain

22  radiating into her right arm and leg, lumbar pain, sacroiliac

23  joint pain, and a herniated disc, by both a chiropractic

24  physician and a neurologist, and

25         WHEREAS, the treating neurologist has attributed Ms.

26  Jackson's ongoing medical condition to the injuries sustained

27  in the collision, and

28         WHEREAS, as a result of the collision, Ms. Jackson has

29  sustained both medical expenses and loss of earnings, and

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                        SB 62
    36-69A-02




  1         WHEREAS, Ms. Jackson did not have available insurance

  2  coverage to pay these medical expenses, for which the bills

  3  remain outstanding, and

  4         WHEREAS, before a trial, Ms. Jackson and Miami-Dade

  5  County reached a settlement, and

  6         WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County affirmatively supports a

  7  claim bill in favor of Millie Jackson in the amount of

  8  $35,000, NOW, THEREFORE,

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

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

13  act are found and declared to be true.

14         Section 2.  Miami-Dade County is authorized and

15  directed to appropriate from funds of the county not otherwise

16  appropriated and to draw a warrant in the sum of $35,000,

17  which amount includes statutory attorney's fees and costs,

18  payable to Millie Jackson as compensation for injuries and

19  damages she sustained as the result of the negligence of an

20  employee of the county.

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

22  law.

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