Title: Relief/Jacob Rodgers/City of Gainesville

Summary: Provides for appropriation to compensate Jacob Rodgers for injuries sustained as result of negligence of employee of City of Gainesville; provides limitation on compensation & payment of attorney fees.

Full Text:
WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, employee ran a stop sign and struck the side of the ve hicle occupied by Mr. Rodgers, and WHEREAS, Mr. Rodgers, who was years old at the time, sustained catastrophic injuries, including spinal fractures that resulted in Mr. Rodgers becoming a paraplegic, which will require him to receive supervised medical care, home health care, future medical care, and other services in the future, and WHEREAS, Mr. Rodgers brought suit against the City of Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, in the Circuit Court of the Eighth Judicial Circuit in and for Ala chua County under case number 2016-CA-000659, and WHEREAS, the suit was tried before an Alachua County jury, and the jury found the City of Gainesville percent at fault and assessed total damages of $120 million, and WHEREAS, the trial court ordered a remittitur, which resulted in a final judgment of $18,319,181.20, and WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville appealed the final judgment, resulting in Mr. Rodgers agreeing to the remittitur of $18,319,181.20 and the City of Gainesville obtaining a new trial on the issue of comparative negligence of Mr. Rodgers, and the damage award of $18,319,181.20 was not reversed by the trial court, and WHEREAS, the parties mediated the case pursuant to a court order and reached a settlement agreement that the City of Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, would consent to a final judgment of $11 million, and WHEREAS, the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority board adopted and approved the settlement agreement, and WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville paid the statutory limit of $200,000 under s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act are found and declared to be true. Section 2. The City of Gainesville is authorized and ENROLLED HB 6521 2025 Legislature directed to appropriate from funds not otherwise encumbered and to draw a warrant in the sum of $10.8 million payable to Jacob Rodgers as compensation for injuries and damages sustained. Section 3. The amount paid by the City of Gainesville pursuant to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded under this act are intended to provide the sole compensation for all present and future claims arising out of the factual situation described in this act which resulted in injuries and damages to Jacob Rodgers. The total amount paid for attorney fees relating to this claim may not exceed percent of the total amount awarded under this act. Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.