Florida Senate - 2025                              (NP)    SB 96
       
       
        
       By Senator Bernard
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00515-25                                             202596__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act for the relief of Jacob Rodgers by the City of
    3         Gainesville; providing for an appropriation to
    4         compensate Jacob Rodgers for injuries sustained as a
    5         result of the negligence of an employee of the City of
    6         Gainesville; providing a limitation on compensation
    7         and the payment of attorney fees; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9  
   10         WHEREAS, on October 7, 2015, Jacob Rodgers was a passenger
   11  in a vehicle when it was struck by a vehicle owned by the City
   12  of Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, and
   13  operated by an employee, and
   14         WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville
   15  Regional Utilities, employee ran a stop sign and struck the side
   16  of the vehicle occupied by Mr. Rodgers, and
   17         WHEREAS, Mr. Rodgers, who was 20 years old at the time,
   18  sustained catastrophic injuries, including spinal fractures that
   19  resulted in Mr. Rodgers becoming a paraplegic, which will
   20  require him to receive supervised medical care, home health
   21  care, future medical care, and other services in the future, and
   22         WHEREAS, Mr. Rodgers brought suit against the City of
   23  Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, in the
   24  Circuit Court of the Eighth Judicial Circuit in and for Alachua
   25  County under case number 2016-CA-000659, and
   26         WHEREAS, the suit was tried before an Alachua County jury,
   27  and the jury found the City of Gainesville 100 percent at fault
   28  and assessed total damages of $120 million, and
   29         WHEREAS, the trial court ordered a remittitur, which
   30  resulted in a final judgment of $18,319,181.20, and
   31         WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville appealed the final
   32  judgment, resulting in Mr. Rodgers agreeing to the remittitur of
   33  $18,319,181.20 and the City of Gainesville obtaining a new trial
   34  on the issue of comparative negligence of Mr. Rodgers, and the
   35  damage award of $18,319,181.20 was not reversed by the trial
   36  court, and
   37         WHEREAS, the parties mediated the case pursuant to a court
   38  order and reached a settlement agreement that the City of
   39  Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, would consent
   40  to a final judgment of $11 million, and
   41         WHEREAS, the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority board
   42  adopted and approved the settlement agreement, and
   43         WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville paid the statutory limit
   44  of $200,000 under s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, 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 are
   49  found and declared to be true.
   50         Section 2. The City of Gainesville is authorized and
   51  directed to appropriate from funds not otherwise encumbered and
   52  to draw a warrant in the sum of $10.8 million payable to Jacob
   53  Rodgers as compensation for injuries and damages sustained.
   54         Section 3. The amount paid by the City of Gainesville
   55  pursuant to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded
   56  under this act are intended to provide the sole compensation for
   57  all present and future claims arising out of the factual
   58  situation described in this act which resulted in injuries and
   59  damages to Jacob Rodgers. The total amount paid for attorney
   60  fees relating to this claim may not exceed 25 percent of the
   61  total amount awarded under this act.
   62         Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.