HB 0889

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act for the relief of Betty Obenza by Duval County;
3providing for an appropriation to compensate Betty Obenza
4for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of an
5employee of the Jacksonville Electric Authority; providing
6for attorney's fees and costs; providing an effective
7date.
8
9     WHEREAS, on June 5, 2000, Betty Obenza was driving her
10vehicle north on Belfort Road in Jacksonville, Duval County,
11Florida, and
12     WHEREAS, an employee of the Jacksonville Electric Authority
13was also driving north on Belfort Road, directly behind Ms.
14Obenza, and
15     WHEREAS, Ms. Obenza and the employee of the Jacksonville
16Electric Authority were both stopped at a red traffic signal on
17Belfort Road, and
18     WHEREAS, the Jacksonville Electric Authority employee's
19foot slipped off the brake pedal and the authority's vehicle
20crashed into the rear of Ms. Obenza's vehicle, and
21     WHEREAS, the employee admitted that he was solely
22responsible for the accident, and
23     WHEREAS, as a result of the collision, Ms. Obenza suffered
24personal injury to the cervical region of her body, including a
25central and paracentral herniated disc at C4-5 of her cervical
26spine and a disc bulge at C5-6 of her cervical spine, and
27     WHEREAS, several months later, it was discovered that Ms.
28Obenza had additional injuries to the back, in the lumbar region
29of her spine, and
30     WHEREAS, as a result of the accident, litigation was filed
31in the Circuit Court for the Fourth Judicial Circuit and the
32matter was tried before a jury, and
33     WHEREAS, on May 21, 2003, the Circuit Court for the Fourth
34Judicial Circuit issued a final judgment against the
35Jacksonville Electric Authority for Ms. Obenza in the sum of
36$317,675.61, which was reduced to $305,675.61 to reflect a
37setoff for collateral sources and which was entered pursuant to
38a consent final judgment, and
39     WHEREAS, Duval County has paid Ms. Obenza $100,000 pursuant
40to the statutory limits of liability under section 768.28,
41Florida Statutes, NOW, THEREFORE,
42
43Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
44
45     Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this act
46are found and declared to be true.
47     Section 2.  The Board of County Commissioners of Duval
48County is authorized and directed to appropriate from funds of
49the county not otherwise appropriated and to draw a warrant
50payable to Betty Obenza in the amount of $156,555.76, which
51amount includes statutory attorney's fees and costs, for
52injuries and damages sustained due to the negligence of the
53Jacksonville Electric Authority.
54     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


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