HB 0765 2004
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to Escambia County; providing for the
3	relief of Bronwen Dodd; authorizing and directing the
4	District School Board of Escambia County to compensate
5	Bronwen Dodd for personal injuries that she suffered due
6	to the negligence of an employee of the school board;
7	providing for attorney's fees and costs; providing an
8	effective date.
9
10	WHEREAS, on the afternoon of March 24, 1997, an accident
11	involving an automobile and a school bus occurred at the
12	intersection of Summit Boulevard and Goya Drive in Escambia
13	County, and
14	WHEREAS, Bronwen Dodd was driving a 1988 Honda eastwardly
15	on Summit Boulevard, and a driver employed by the Escambia
16	County School Board was driving a school bus westwardly on
17	Summit Boulevard, and
18	WHEREAS, the driver of the school bus had stopped and
19	turned left in order to go south on Goya Drive, and
20	WHEREAS, as the school bus was turning south onto Goya
21	Drive, it struck Bronwen Dodd's Honda, causing that vehicle to
22	collide with another car that was stopped on Goya Drive, and
23	WHEREAS, a court subsequently found that the driver of the
24	school bus violated the right-of-way in making the turn, and
25	WHEREAS, as a result of the accident, Bronwen Dodd suffered
26	severe injuries, including: a closed-head injury (with loss of
27	consciousness); basilar skull, temporal, and sinus fractures; a
28	fractured mandible; cranial nerve injury; significant dental
29	injuries with multiple avulsions of her left incisor, left
30	medial incisor, maxillary teeth, and canines; bilateral
31	pneumothoraces; a punctured lower lip; a lacerated tongue;
32	multiple lacerations to her arm, face, and lower extremities;
33	and optical and auditory damage, and
34	WHEREAS, those injuries necessitated extensive medical
35	treatment, rehabilitation, and restorative treatments, and
36	WHEREAS, litigation relating to this accident was begun
37	and, after two unsuccessful attempts at mediation, both parties
38	agreed to participate in binding arbitration, which took place
39	on December 18, 2000, and
40	WHEREAS, on December 20, 2000, the arbitration panel
41	awarded Bronwen Dodd $275,000, which did not include any award
42	for past medical expenses, and
43	WHEREAS, after the arbitrators assessed 20-percent
44	negligence to Bronwen Dodd, her award was reduced to $220,000,
45	and
46	WHEREAS, a final judgment in the amount of $340,999.75 was
47	entered against the Escambia County School Board on May 21,
48	2001, and
49	WHEREAS, the Escambia County School Board has paid to
50	Bronwen Dodd the sum of $100,000, which is the statutory limit
51	pursuant to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and Bronwen Dodd is,
52	therefore, petitioning the Legislature for further
53	reimbursement in the amount of $240,999.75, NOW, THEREFORE,
54
55	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
56
57	Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act
58	are found and declared to be true.
59	Section 2. The District School Board of Escambia County is
60	authorized and directed to appropriate from funds of the county
61	not otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant in the amount
62	of $240,999.75, which amount includes statutory attorney's fees
63	and costs, payable to Bronwen Dodd as compensation for injuries
64	and damages sustained as a result of the negligence of an
65	employee of the school board.
66	Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.