Mother to Sue Tampa School District for Son's Injuries

By Merylee Robbins

Published on August 08, 2005

As a result of this horrible accident, E'Traveon, has suffered injuries that have left him a quadriplegic. He has undergone several surgeries to fix broken bones, as well as operate on his spine. The little boy cannot speak and requires the assistance of a ventilator to breath. Unfortunately, the surgeries, doctors visits, hospital time, medical equipment, and 24-hour assistance E'Travion requires are not fully covered by Florida's Medicaid program, leaving E'Traveon's mother, Chantelle Ross, in an extremely difficult financial situation.

Chantelle Ross has acquired a lawyer and is planning a lawsuit against the Tampa school district, claming the school was negligent in not preventing her son from running into the street during school hours. In Florida, lawsuits against government agencies cannot be filed until 6 months after they are notified of the incident and plaintiff compensation awards are limited at a $200,000 cap. In order to receive the financial assistance that they need, Ross will have to file a special complaint to the Legislature and have them pass a bill to allow for an award the exceeds the cap.

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