FL H6525

Directs the South Broward Hospital District (d/b/a Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital) to pay $200,000 to Eric Miles, Jr., and Jennifer Miles, as copersonal representatives of their minor son E.E.M., for injuries and damages resulting from the district's negligence in failing to properly evaluate, diagnose, and treat a small bowel obstruction

E.E.M., a 17-month-old, was treated at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital beginning December 24, 2017, and despite worsening symptoms and imaging consistent with intestinal blockage or rupture over nearly two weeks, hospital staff failed to appropriately diagnose his condition before he was transferred to Holtz Children's Hospital on January 5, 2018, where he was found to have sepsis with multiorgan failure and a bowel perforation

E.E.M. suffered severe injuries including loss of his terminal ileum, right colon, omentum, appendix, and significant portions of his small intestine, missed developmental milestones, and ultimately passed away on September 1, 2023, at age 7

The South Broward Hospital District previously paid the $300,000 statutory cap under s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and agreed via a May 2024 settlement to support a claim bill for an additional $200,000

Attorney fees related to the claim may not exceed 25% of the total amount awarded under the act, and the combined statutory payment and this appropriation constitute the sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the incident