HB 1693 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Hillsborough County School Board;
3	providing for the relief of Alana Kelly and Richard F.
4	Taylor, Sr.; providing for an appropriation to compensate
5	them for the death of their son, Richard F. Taylor, Jr.,
6	caused by the negligence of a Hillsborough County School
7	Board employee; providing an effective date.
8
9	WHEREAS, on April 24, 1998, 21-year-old Richard F. Taylor,
10	Jr., was driving his motorcycle in a lawful manner heading south
11	on U.S. 301 in Hillsborough County, and
12	WHEREAS, at the same time, a Hillsborough County school bus
13	operated by a driver employed by the Hillsborough County School
14	Board pulled out from a stop sign and attempted to cross the
15	southbound lanes of U.S. 301 directly in the path of Richard
16	Taylor's motorcycle, and
17	WHEREAS, although Mr. Taylor attempted to stop his
18	motorcycle from colliding with the bus, he was unable to do so,
19	and
20	WHEREAS, as a result of the collision of the school bus
21	with his motorcycle, Mr. Taylor suffered trauma to the head and
22	was pronounced dead at the scene, and
23	WHEREAS, an eyewitness to the accident observed the school
24	bus pull out in front of the motorcycle in violation of the
25	motorcycle's right-of-way, observed Mr. Taylor's attempt to
26	stop, and observed the collision, and
27	WHEREAS, Richard F. Taylor, Jr., was survived by his
28	mother, Alana Kelly, and his father, Richard F. Taylor, Sr., who
29	have lost their only son and their only child, and
30	WHEREAS, a lawsuit was filed against the Hillsborough
31	County School Board for the wrongful death of Richard F. Taylor,
32	Jr., and
33	WHEREAS, at the conclusion of the trial, the jury found the
34	school board 75 percent at fault for the death of Richard F.
35	Taylor, Jr., and entered a verdict for $402,444, and
36	WHEREAS, after proper reductions for comparative fault, the
37	judge entered a final judgment in favor of the claimants for a
38	total of $301,833, and
39	WHEREAS, the school board did not appeal the verdict and
40	judgment, and
41	WHEREAS, the school board has paid $200,000 to the
42	claimants pursuant to the limits of liability set forth in
43	section 768.28, Florida Statutes, leaving an unpaid judgment
44	amount of $101,833, NOW, THEREFORE,
45
46	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
47
48	Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act
49	are found and declared to be true.
50	Section 2. The Hillsborough County School Board is
51	authorized and directed to appropriate from funds of the school
52	board not otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant in the
53	sum of $50,000, which amount includes statutory attorney's fees
54	and costs, payable to Alana Kelly as compensation for the death
55	of her son, Richard F. Taylor, Jr., due to the negligence of an
56	employee of the Hillsborough County School Board.
57	Section 3. The Hillsborough County School Board is
58	authorized and directed to appropriate from funds of the school
59	board not otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant in the
60	sum of $51,833, which amount includes statutory attorney's fees
61	and costs, payable to Richard F. Taylor, Sr., as compensation
62	for the death of his son, Richard F. Taylor, Jr., due to the
63	negligence of the Hillsborough County School Board.
64	Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.