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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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An act for the relief of Julia Perez by the St. Johns 2
County Sheriff's Office; providing for an 3
appropriation to compensate Julia Perez for personal 4
injuries and damages sustained as a result of the 5
negligence of an employee of the St. Johns County 6
Sheriff's Office; providing legislative intent for the 7
waiver of certain lien interests; providing a 8
limitation on compensation and the payment of attorney 9
fees; providing an effective date. 10
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WHEREAS, at 5:09 p.m. on April 7, 2019, Julia Perez was 12
wearing a helmet and lawfully operating a motorcycle within the 13
posted speed limit, traveling east on State Road 16 in the 14
correct travel lane in unincorporate d St. Johns County, and 15
WHEREAS, at the same time, an employee of the St. Johns 16
County Sheriff's Office (SJSO), acting in the course and scope 17
of his employment, was operating a marked SJSO patrol vehicle, 18
and traveling west on State Road 16, and 19
WHEREAS, the SJSO employee negligently entered the 20
intersection of State Road 16 and Harvest Lane and attempted a 21
left turn directly in front of the motorcycle operated by Ms. 22
Perez, and 23
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez's motorcycle struck the right side of 24
the SJSO vehicle, causing her to eject from her motorcycle and 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
impact the hood of the patrol car before she came to rest on the 26
pavement of State Road 16, and 27
WHEREAS, the Florida Highway Patrol's traffic crash 28
investigators conducted an extensive crash investigation of th e 29
accident, including preparation for a traffic homicide 30
reconstruction due to Ms. Perez's grave condition, and 31
WHEREAS, witnesses on the scene told investigators that, at 32
the time of the crash, eastbound traffic had a steady green 33
signal, giving Ms. Pere z the right of way, and 34
WHEREAS, the investigation determined that the actions of 35
Ms. Perez were reasonable and did not contribute to or cause the 36
collision, and 37
WHEREAS, the Florida Highway Patrol investigation found the 38
SJSO employee to be solely at fa ult for causing the accident and 39
issued him a traffic citation for failure to yield to oncoming 40
traffic in violation of s. 316.122, Florida Statutes, to which 41
he pled no contest, and 42
WHEREAS, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office has admitted 43
its employee was negligent in causing the collision and liable 44
for Ms. Perez's injuries, and 45
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez suffered catastrophic injuries, was 46
intubated and resuscitated at the crash site by local emergency 47
medical services, and was rushed to the Trauma Center a t 48
Memorial Hospital Jacksonville, where she arrived comatose and 49
had to undergo a series of blood transfusions, and 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez suffered multiple open and comminuted 51
fractures of the pelvis, arms, and legs, as well as organ 52
lacerations and puncture s, including a punctured left lung, 53
resulting in cardiopulmonary arrest due to blood loss, and 54
numerous complications, including a pulmonary embolism, deep 55
vein thrombosis, and episodes of pneumonia; suffered at least 56
one myocardial infarction; and endured multiple systemic 57
infections, bowel obstructions, a fractured arm, and a nicked 58
artery, and 59
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez remained hospitalized and was in a 60
nursing home for almost eight months following the crash, and 61
WHEREAS, because of blood loss and infection, Ms. Perez 62
suffered renal tubular necrosis and a kidney injury, which 63
necessitated her to receive kidney dialysis for many months and 64
made it possible that she will need further kidney treatment in 65
the future, and 66
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez suffers from substanti al pain when 67
trying to accomplish simple tasks of daily living and 68
experiences interrupted sleep on a nightly basis, chronic 69
migraine headaches, and severe elevated blood pressure, and 70
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez suffers from memory loss, confusion, 71
communication difficulties, fatigue, frustration, and 72
depression, and she is under the treatment of a neurologist, and 73
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez has undergone dozens of surgeries and 74
faces many more, and 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez's past medical bills attributable to the 76
crash and related liens amount to more than $3,863,108.09, and 77
WHEREAS, the costs of Ms. Perez's future medical care and 78
related expenses are estimated to be as much as $4,077,923.57 79
over the course of Ms. Perez's life, and 80
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez has bee n declared to be totally and 81
permanently disabled by her physicians, and her loss of earning 82
capacity is estimated to be $282,110, based on her full Social 83
Security retirement age of 67 and a minimum -wage earning 84
capacity, and 85
WHEREAS, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Ms. Perez and was 86
set for trial in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial 87
Circuit, in and for St. Johns County, Florida, styled Julia 88
Perez vs. Robert A. Hardwick, in his capacity as Sheriff of St. 89
Johns County, Case No.: 2020-CA-387; however, the parties agreed 90
to a settlement amount of $6.5 million before trial, and 91
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez has been paid the statutory limit of 92
$200,000 by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office's self -93
insuring risk pool, leaving a balance of $6.3 million which t he 94
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is willing to pay upon being 95
authorized to do so by the enactment of a claim bill pursuant to 96
s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and 97
WHEREAS, the parties agree to support a claim bill that 98
authorizes and directs the St. John s County Sheriff's Office to 99
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appropriate from funds of the county and pay Julia Perez $6.3 100
million, and 101
WHEREAS, Ms. Perez seeks the total sum of $6.3 million in 102
relief from the Legislature for satisfaction of her injuries and 103
damages, NOW, THEREFORE, 104
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 106
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Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act 108
are found and declared to be true. 109
Section 2. The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is 110
authorized and directed to appropriate from fu nds of the county 111
not otherwise encumbered and pay Julia Perez $6.3 million, to 112
compensate her for the injuries and damages she sustained due to 113
the negligence of an employee of the St. Johns County Sheriff's 114
Office. 115
Section 3. It is the intent of the Legislature that all 116
lien interests held by the state, if any, resulting from the 117
treatment and care of Julia Perez for the occurrences described 118
in this act are waived. It is the intent of the Legislature that 119
all Medicaid liens arising from the treatment and care of the 120
injuries and damages to Julia Perez described in this act shall 121
be waived. 122
Section 4. The amount awarded under this act is intended 123
to provide the sole compensation for all present and future 124
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
claims arising out of the factual situation described in this 125
act which resulted in injuries and damages to Julia Perez. The 126
total amount paid for attorney fees relating to this claim may 127
not exceed 25 percent of the total amount awarded under this 128
act. 129
Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 130