FL S0042

Leon County is authorized to appropriate $1.15 million to compensate Angela Sanford for injuries sustained in a September 5, 2013 collision involving a Leon County ambulance operated by employee Benjamin Hunter.

The ambulance entered an intersection against a red light at over 40 mph and struck the passenger side of Sanford's vehicle, causing severe injuries including traumatic brain bleed, organ damage, multiple fractures, and permanent disability that ended her teaching career.

A trial court entered a final judgment of $1.15 million in Sanford's favor on April 13, 2015, and Leon County's liability insurance will cover the full amount up to the policy limit of $3 million.

The payment satisfies all present and future claims related to the accident, and attorney fees for this claim are limited to a maximum of 25 percent of the total award.

Leon County had already paid $300,000 to other accident victims under sovereign immunity limits prior to this appropriation.