FL H0911

Palm Beach County School Board is authorized to appropriate $944,034.30 from unencumbered funds to compensate Altavious Carter for injuries sustained in a December 15, 2005 school bus accident.

Altavious Carter, then 14 years old, suffered a broken neck (C6 level) and spinal cord damage when a school bus driven by Dennis Gratham struck the vehicle he was in at Forest Hill Boulevard and Olympia Boulevard; the bus was traveling 48.5 mph and ran a red light.

Carter received a jury verdict of $1,094,034.30 against the Palm Beach County School Board on February 25, 2010; the $100,000 statutory limit under Florida law applies separately, with this appropriation covering the remaining $944,034.30.

Attorney's fees, lobbying fees, costs, and similar expenses relating to this claim are capped at 25 percent of the total amount awarded under the act.

The combined payments from the statutory limit and this appropriation are intended as sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the accident.