LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Resident Paralyzed
Vero Beach, FL: (Apr-29-08) Laura LaPorte, a Vero Beach resident, brought a personal injury lawsuit against the city, after an accident with a state employee left her partially paralyzed. LaPorte, now 51, was hit by a vehicle driven by a citrus inspector in 1999. Sources stated that LaPorte was popular for her work with children and that her barn and 5-acre lot were home to 31 horses and 48 cows, with deer, alpacas and other animals that were used in her mobile petting zoo. Court records reveal that in an earlier verdict in 2002, a jury awarded LaPorte $5.5 million. Circuit Judge Robert Hawley affirmed that amount.
As per state law, under the state's sovereign immunity protection, local governments and state agencies are not allowed to pay more than $200,000 if a person is wrongly maimed or killed. To get more than the cap, the Legislature needs to pass a claims bill authorizing the award. In a recent development in the decade-long case, Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a $4 million settlement with Vero Beach resident Laura LaPorte. The settlement was meant to partially compensate her for the injuries she suffered during the crash. [TC PALM: GOV. CRIST SIGNS $4 MILLION PAYMENT FOR VERO BEACH RESIDENT INJURED BY CITRUS INSPECTOR]
Published on May-1-08
As per state law, under the state's sovereign immunity protection, local governments and state agencies are not allowed to pay more than $200,000 if a person is wrongly maimed or killed. To get more than the cap, the Legislature needs to pass a claims bill authorizing the award. In a recent development in the decade-long case, Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a $4 million settlement with Vero Beach resident Laura LaPorte. The settlement was meant to partially compensate her for the injuries she suffered during the crash. [
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