Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H6521 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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3	3	HB 6521 2025
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7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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10	10	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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12	12	A bill to be entitled 1
13	13	An act for the relief of Jacob Rodgers by the City of 2
14	14	Gainesville; providing for an appropriation to 3
15	15	compensate Jacob Rodgers for injuries sustained as a 4
16	16	result of the negligence of an employee of the City of 5
17	17	Gainesville; providing a limitation on compensation 6
18	18	and the payment of attorney fees; providing an 7
19	19	effective date. 8
20	20	9
21	21	WHEREAS, on October 7, 2015, Jacob Rodgers was a passenger 10
22	22	in a vehicle when it was str uck by a vehicle owned by the City 11
23	23	of Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, and 12
24	24	operated by an employee, and 13
25	25	WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville 14
26	26	Regional Utilities, employee ran a stop sign and struck the side 15
27	27	of the vehicle occupied by Mr. Rodgers, and 16
28	28	WHEREAS, Mr. Rodgers, who was 20 years old at the time, 17
29	29	sustained catastrophic injuries, including spinal fractures that 18
30	30	resulted in Mr. Rodgers becoming a paraplegic, which will 19
31	31	require him to receive supervised medical care, home health 20
32	32	care, future medical care, and other services in the future, and 21
33	33	WHEREAS, Mr. Rodgers brought suit against the City of 22
34	34	Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, in the 23
35	35	Circuit Court of the Eighth Judicial Circuit in and for Alachua 24
36	36	County under case number 2016 -CA-000659, and 25
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38	38	HB 6521 2025
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42	42	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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45	45	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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47	47	WHEREAS, the suit was tried before an Alachua County jury, 26
48	48	and the jury found the City of Gainesville 100 percent at fault 27
49	49	and assessed total damages of $120 million, and 28
50	50	WHEREAS, the trial court ordered a remit titur, which 29
51	51	resulted in a final judgment of $18,319,181.20, and 30
52	52	WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville appealed the final 31
53	53	judgment, resulting in Mr. Rodgers agreeing to the remittitur of 32
54	54	$18,319,181.20 and the City of Gainesville obtaining a new trial 33
55	55	on the issue of comparative negligence of Mr. Rodgers, and the 34
56	56	damage award of $18,319,181.20 was not reversed by the trial 35
57	57	court, and 36
58	58	WHEREAS, the parties mediated the case pursuant to a court 37
59	59	order and reached a settlement agreement that the City of 38
60	60	Gainesville, d/b/a Gainesville Regional Utilities, would consent 39
61	61	to a final judgment of $11 million, and 40
62	62	WHEREAS, the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority board 41
63	63	adopted and approved the settlement agreement, and 42
64	64	WHEREAS, the City of Gainesville paid the statuto ry limit 43
65	65	of $200,000 under s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, NOW, THEREFORE, 44
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67	67	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 46
68	68	47
69	69	Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act 48
70	70	are found and declared to be true. 49
71	71	Section 2. The City of Gainesville is authorized and 50
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73	73	HB 6521 2025
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77	77	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
78	78	hb6521-00
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80	80	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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82	82	directed to appropriate from funds not otherwise encumbered and 51
83	83	to draw a warrant in the sum of $10.8 million payable to Jacob 52
84	84	Rodgers as compensation for injuries and damages sustained. 53
85	85	Section 3. The amount paid by the City of Gainesville 54
86	86	pursuant to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded 55
87	87	under this act are intended to provide the sole compensation for 56
88	88	all present and future claims arising out of the factual 57
89	89	situation described in this act which r esulted in injuries and 58
90	90	damages to Jacob Rodgers. The total amount paid for attorney 59
91	91	fees relating to this claim may not exceed 25 percent of the 60
92	92	total amount awarded under this act. 61
93	93	Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 62