title
Richantae A. Johnson v. City of Gainesville, Florida; Case No. 2021-CA-0102; Eighth Judicial Circuit, in and for Alachua County, Florida. (NB)
recommendation
The City Commission 1) approve the terms of the negotiated settlement agreement; and 2) authorize the City Attorney to settle the claim of Richantae A. Johnson, arising from an accident that occurred on or about July 1, 2019.
explanation
On July 1, 2019, at 3:04 p.m., Plaintiff Richantae Johnson, a UF law student, was traveling in a line of cars heading south on N. Main Street. Officer S. Jones of the Gainesville Police Department was driving behind Plaintiff. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper, proceeding slowly when Plaintiff suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Officer Jones was unable to stop his vehicle in time to avoid a collision. Officer Jones observed Plaintiff looking down, possibly at a cell phone, and distracted. However, Ms. Johnson's cell phone records indicate that she was not on a call at the time of the accident.
Although damage to Plaintiff's vehicle was modest, Plaintiff claimed injuries to her back, neck, shoulders, hips and knees. Medical examination found evidence of disc bulges in the lumbar back and a tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus of Plaintiff's right knee. Plaintiff denied any preexisting injuries to the lower back or knee. Plaintiff underwent a surgical repair of the torn meniscus, and treatment for her back consisting of steroid injections and several months of physical therapy. She contends that her injuries are permanent and debilitating. Her medical bills and out of pocket expenses exceed $50,000. Were the case to proceed to trial, Plaintiff would seek to introduce testimony from her treating physician asserting that the injuries to her knee and back were caused by the accident. Plaintiff would seek to recover for pain and suffering and lost wages from her employment as a Title IX sex discrimination claims investigator for Kent State Universit...
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