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| 1 | A bill to be entitled | ||
| 2 | An act relating to the Indian River County School Board; | ||
| 3 | providing for the relief of Taylor Rosemond, a minor, by | ||
| 4 | and through her parents and natural guardians, Alvin and | ||
| 5 | Shirley Rosemond; providing for an appropriation to | ||
| 6 | compensate her for injuries sustained due to the | ||
| 7 | negligence of the Indian River County School Board; | ||
| 8 | providing for the use of such funds; providing an | ||
| 9 | effective date. | ||
| 10 | |||
| 11 | WHEREAS, on January 25, 1999, 7-year-old Taylor Rosemond | ||
| 12 | was a passenger on a school bus owned by the Indian River County | ||
| 13 | School Board and operated by its employee, Deborah Colletti, and | ||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Deborah Colletti failed to stop at a stop sign | ||
| 15 | located at the intersection of 45th Street and 66th Avenue in | ||
| 16 | Indian River County, which failure caused the bus to collide | ||
| 17 | with a tractor-trailer traveling on 66th Avenue, resulting in | ||
| 18 | injuries to Taylor Rosemond and 15 other children and the deaths | ||
| 19 | of two other persons, and | ||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Deborah Colletti was cited with failure to obey a | ||
| 21 | traffic-control device and failure to yield the right-of-way, | ||
| 22 | and | ||
| 23 | WHEREAS, Taylor Rosemond was taken by ambulance to a local | ||
| 24 | hospital and thence airlifted to Arnold Palmer Children's | ||
| 25 | Hospital in Orlando, and | ||
| 26 | WHEREAS, Taylor Rosemond was diagnosed with a lacerated | ||
| 27 | kidney, bruised liver, and right renal laceration, and | ||
| 28 | WHEREAS, Taylor Rosemond's injuries resulting from the | ||
| 29 | negligence of the school bus operator have caused her bodily | ||
| 30 | injury and permanent pain and suffering, disability, | ||
| 31 | disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the | ||
| 32 | enjoyment of life, hospitalization expenses, nursing care | ||
| 33 | expenses, medical expenses, loss of earnings and capacity to | ||
| 34 | earn, and aggravation of previously existing conditions, and | ||
| 35 | WHEREAS, Taylor Rosemond's injuries have caused her parents | ||
| 36 | lost income, permanent loss of support and services, and | ||
| 37 | expenses for medical care, psychiatric care, hospitalization | ||
| 38 | care, and nursing care for their daughter, and | ||
| 39 | WHEREAS, suit was filed in Indian River County following | ||
| 40 | the collision, and prior to trial the case was settled in the | ||
| 41 | amount of $60,000, and | ||
| 42 | WHEREAS, the Indian River County School Board has agreed to | ||
| 43 | support this claim bill, NOW, THEREFORE, | ||
| 44 | |||
| 45 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: | ||
| 46 | |||
| 47 | Section 1.The facts stated in the preamble to this act | ||
| 48 | are found and declared to be true. | ||
| 49 | Section 2.The Indian River County School Board is | ||
| 50 | authorized and directed to appropriate from funds of the county | ||
| 51 | not otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant in the sum of | ||
| 52 | $60,000, payable after July 1, 2003, to Alvin and Shirley | ||
| 53 | Rosemond, parents and natural guardians of Taylor Rosemond, a | ||
| 54 | minor, as compensation for injuries and damages sustained by | ||
| 55 | Taylor Rosemond due to the negligence of Indian River County. | ||
| 56 | Such funds are to be deposited into a guardianship account for | ||
| 57 | the exclusive use and benefit of Taylor Rosemond. The amount | ||
| 58 | payable pursuant to this section is inclusive of costs and | ||
| 59 | attorney's fees as limited by s. 768.28(8), Florida Statutes. | ||
| 60 | Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. | ||
| 61 | |||