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The Cliffs Notes of the case so far: Eric Brody was left brain-damaged after a speeding off-duty BSO deputy smashed into his car on Oakland Park Boulevard in March 1998. A jury awarded Brody’s family more than $30 million in a settlement, but, 14 years later, they’ve yet to receive a dime. (For the full-length version, check out our 2009 feature story.)
Well, after several failed attempts spanning four years, the Florida legislature passed a bill Monday that would approve the settlement, but the House and Senate have been going …
… back and forth trying to decide an appropriate cap for legal fees.
Yesterday, Brody’s legal and lobbying team said forget about it — they’d settle for zero. Just pass the damn bill.
Attorney Lance Block said fighting over these fees is “what gives lawyers a bad name,” according to the Sun Sentinel. The appropriate amendments are still being drafted in the House.
Even if the reconciled bill passes, however, the Brodys will only be getting a third of the money the jury said they were owed. A House analysis decided the jury’s findings for pain and suffering, you know, from being permanently disabled, were not appropriate — and cut them out of the ruling. The final amount will be for a little less than $11 million, which Brody’s father should be enough to pay for his son’s medical care.
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