This bill provides for the financial relief of Jacob Rodgers, who sustained severe injuries due to the negligence of an employee of the City of Gainesville. The bill acknowledges that on October 7, 2015, Mr. Rodgers was involved in an accident caused by a City vehicle that ran a stop sign, resulting in catastrophic injuries that left him paraplegic. Following a legal process, a jury initially awarded Mr. Rodgers $120 million, which was later reduced to $18,319,181.20 after a remittitur. Ultimately, a settlement was reached for $11 million, but the City of Gainesville had only paid the statutory limit of $200,000 under Florida law.

To address this situation, the bill authorizes the City of Gainesville to appropriate $10.8 million to compensate Mr. Rodgers for his injuries and damages. It also stipulates that the total compensation from both the City and the amount awarded under this act will serve as the sole compensation for all claims related to the incident. Additionally, the bill limits attorney fees to a maximum of 25 percent of the total amount awarded. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law.