TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- A claim was filed directing Leon County to pay $1.15 million for a 2013 incident that severely injured Angela Sanford.
A county ambulance slammed into a car in which she was a passenger.
A lawsuit led to a $1.15 million judgment this year, but the state's sovereign-immunity laws limit what Leon County can pay without the Legislature passing a claim bill, reports the News Service of Florida.
Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, filed what is known as a "claim" bill that would allow Leon County to pay $1.15 million.
Montford's legislation (SB 22) indicates that the county carries liability insurance that would pay the $1.15 million if the bill is approved during the 2016 regular legislative session.
The investigation into the accident found that Patrick Sanford was going through a green light when the couple's SUV was hit. No criminal charges were filed against the driver of the ambulance, but he was required to complete a refresher course on traffic safety. Leon County policy requires that ambulance drivers stop at all red lights and look both ways before they go through an intersection.
