Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers announced that its client, Maria Garcia, recently obtained a $3 million dollar settlement from the Pinellas County School Board after being struck by one of its school buses.
The collision left Ms. Garcia with catastrophic injuries and extensive financial losses. She spent two long months in Bayfront Hospital’s Trauma Center recovering from her injuries. Ultimately, she sustained injuries to her brain, spine, internal organs, pelvis, and ribs.
Ms. Garcia sustained injuries to her brain, internal organs, pelvis, and ribs. Now disabled, Ms. Garcia continues to experience chronic pain due to her injuries. She cannot walk for more than a few feet at a time and requires a walker to maintain her balance.
The Legal and Political Process
The Pinellas County School Board admitted liability for Ms. Garcia’s injuries and agreed to the $3 million settlement in May of 2022. However, Florida’s sovereign immunity damage caps limited Ms. Garcia’s compensation to $200,000. Roman Austin pursued a claims bill on Maria’s behalf, seeking to override the damage caps. Claims bills must be approved by the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. These bills must also be signed by the Florida Governor.
The firm retained consultants and lobbyists to guide the bill through the halls of the legislature Senator Darryl Rouson and Representative Linda Chaney sponsored the Senate and House Bills (Senate Bill 4, and House Bill 6017).
On January 27, 2023, founding attorney Mark Roman, a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, and his partner, John Austin, presented the case to hearing officers in Tallahassee. Maria and her family testified at the hearing about the impact the bus accident has had on her life.
The hearing officers provided a favorable recommendation for the bill, and after making its way through several House and Senate committees, the bill received approval from all committees with nearly unanimous votes. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 4 into law on June 9, 2023.
