FL H3515

On October 18, 2004, Donald Brown's right leg was amputated below the knee when a school bus driven by Patsy C. Foxworth, an employee of the District School Board of Sumter County, collided with his motorcycle at a county road intersection in Bushnell, Florida.

A jury awarded Brown $2,941,240.60 in damages; the circuit court reduced this to $2,651,375.83 plus $31,674.12 in costs, and the Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment on February 18, 2011.

The District School Board of Sumter County has paid $100,000 under statutory liability limits and is authorized to appropriate an additional $1.4 million: $900,000 in one payment and $50,000 annually from 2015 through 2024.

Attorney fees, lobbying fees, and costs may not exceed 15 percent of the first $1 million awarded and 10 percent of the remainder, totaling $190,000 maximum, plus additional taxable costs from the civil action.

The payments authorized by this act constitute the sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the October 18, 2004 accident.