HB 107

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act for the relief of Sheryl D. Allen and George F.
3Allen by the City of Tallahassee; providing for an
4appropriation to compensate Sheryl D. Allen and George F.
5Allen for injuries sustained as a result of an accident
6involving Sheryl D. Allen and an employee of the City of
7Tallahassee; providing an effective date.
8
9     WHEREAS, on December 8, 2001, Sheryl D. Allen was in
10Tallahassee chaperoning her daughter's Keystone Heights High
11School Band as they participated in the city's 2001 Winter
12Festival parade, and
13     WHEREAS, Sheryl D. Allen was hit by a large trailer/float
14owned by the City of Tallahassee and driven by a City of
15Tallahassee employee when the trailer swung wide, leaving the
16parade disembarkment area, and
17     WHEREAS, the contact with the trailer knocked Sheryl D.
18Allen to the ground, resulting in a skull fracture and
19significant closed-head injury, and
20     WHEREAS, the accident of December 8, 2001, formed the basis
21of a negligence action filed against the City of Tallahassee in
222002, and
23     WHEREAS, the city, after extensive discovery during the
24litigation, admitted liability, and
25     WHEREAS, on April 7, 2004, the City of Tallahassee and
26Sheryl D. Allen and George F. Allen, husband of Sheryl D. Allen,
27mediated the case prior to trial and reached an agreement
28whereby the city agreed to pay Sheryl D. Allen and George F.
29Allen $200,000, pursuant to the limits of liability set forth in
30s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and to support the passage of a
31claims bill in the Legislature for an additional payment of
32$775,000, and
33     WHEREAS, the Tallahassee City Commission and the Circuit
34Court in and for the Second Judicial Circuit approved the
35settlement agreement reached at mediation, and the city has paid
36$200,000 to Sheryl D. Allen, George F. Allen, and their
37attorneys, and
38     WHEREAS, the City of Tallahassee has agreed to support the
39filing and passage of this bill and has agreed that, if this act
40becomes law, the City of Tallahassee, within 30 days after the
41effective date of this act, will pay an additional $775,000 to
42Sheryl D. Allen and George F. Allen, NOW, THEREFORE,
43
44Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
45
46     Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this act
47are found and declared to be true.
48     Section 2.  The City of Tallahassee is authorized and
49directed to appropriate from funds of the city not otherwise
50appropriated and to draw a warrant in the sum of $775,000
51payable to Sheryl D. Allen and George F. Allen as compensation
52for injuries and damages sustained due to the negligence of an
53employee of the city.
54     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


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