Bill Text: FL H1119 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relief/Angela Isham/City of Ft. Lauderdale

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Civil Justice & Courts Policy (CCJP) [H1119 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-H1119-Introduced.html
HB 1119
1
A bill to be entitled
2An act for the relief of Angela Isham by the City of Ft.
3Lauderdale; providing for an appropriation to compensate
4Angela Isham, individually, and as co-personal
5representative of the Estate of David Isham, deceased, for
6the death of Mr. Isham which was due to the negligence of
7employees of the City of Ft. Lauderdale; providing for
8attorney's fees and costs; providing a limitation on the
9payment of fees and costs; providing an effective date.
10
11 WHEREAS, on November 15, 2001, David Isham, the owner of a
12landscaping business and a pest control business, was driving
13along N.W. 13th Street in Ft. Lauderdale, and
14 WHEREAS, in an unmarked police vehicle, police officers
15from the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department were engaged in an
16undercover narcotics surveillance and were in pursuit of a
17suspect who was driving a 1994 BMW, and
18 WHEREAS, while being chased by the police officers, the
19suspect collided with Mr. Isham's vehicle and caused Mr. Isham's
20vehicle to flip upside down, catch on fire, and trap Mr. Isham
21inside, and
22 WHEREAS, as a result of the collision, Mr. Isham died and
23left behind his grieving widow, Angela Isham, and
24 WHEREAS, Mrs. Isham filed a lawsuit against the City of Ft.
25Lauderdale, and a week-long jury trial ensued in which the jury
26found that the police officers, acting in an official capacity
27as employees of the City of Ft. Lauderdale, were negligent with
28regard to the vehicle chase that ultimately resulted in the
29death of Mr. Isham and that their actions were the legal cause
30of injury and death to Mr. Isham, and
31 WHEREAS, the jury returned a verdict on February 1, 2008,
32in favor of Mrs. Isham, and final judgment was entered in the
33amount of $1,435,219.25, plus postjudgment interest at the
34statutory rate of 11 percent per annum, and
35 WHEREAS, the City of Ft. Lauderdale has paid only $200,000
36of the judgment and has not negotiated any settlement of the
37remaining judgment, and
38 WHEREAS, the City of Ft. Lauderdale has approximately
39$2,023,594.52 in its Risk Management Fund which is available to
40pay claims or judgments such as the one presented by Mrs. Isham,
41but it has not done so to date, and
42 WHEREAS, the balance of the net jury verdict in the amount
43of $1,235,219.25 is sought through the submission of a claim
44bill to the Legislature, NOW, THEREFORE,
45
46Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
47
48 Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act
49are found and declared to be true.
50 Section 2. The City of Ft. Lauderdale is authorized and
51directed to appropriate from funds of the city not otherwise
52appropriated and to draw a warrant in the amount of
53$1,235,219.25, plus postjudgment interest at the statutory rate
54of 11 percent per annum, payable to Angela Isham, individually,
55and as co-personal representative of the Estate of David Isham,
56deceased.
57 Section 3. The amount paid by the City of Ft. Lauderdale
58pursuant to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded
59under this act are intended to provide the sole compensation for
60all present and future claims arising out of the factual
61situation described in this act which resulted in the death of
62David Isham. The total amount paid for attorney's fees, lobbying
63fees, costs, and other similar expenses relating to this claim
64may not exceed 25 percent of the amount awarded under this act.
65 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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