Relief/Eric Miles, Jr., and Jennifer Miles/South Broward Hospital District:
HB 6525 is a claim bill that provides relief to Eric Miles, Jr. and Jennifer Miles, as copersonal representatives of their son E.E.M., against the South Broward Hospital District, doing business as Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. The bill recites the medical history of E.E.M.’s treatment beginning in December 2017, alleges that hospital staff failed to properly evaluate, diagnose, and treat a small bowel obstruction, and describes the resulting severe injuries, multiple surgeries, long-term complications, and later death of the child in 2023.
The bill authorizes the South Broward Hospital District to appropriate and pay $200,000 to the Miles family as compensation for the injuries and damages described in the bill. It also states that the amount paid under the bill, together with the amount already paid under section 768.28, Florida Statutes, is intended to be the sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the incident. Attorney fees for the claim are capped at 25 percent of the amount awarded under the act, and the act takes effect upon becoming law.
HB 6525 creates a special, one-time appropriation obligation for the South Broward Hospital District and functions as a legislative waiver-like remedy for a tort claim that exceeds the normal statutory damages framework. It does not amend general medical malpractice law, but it does operate within and supplement the sovereign immunity claims process under section 768.28, Florida Statutes, by authorizing additional payment beyond the standard statutory limit. The bill affects the named parties only, resolving the claim arising from the treatment of E.E.M. and limiting future recovery for the same factual circumstances.
The available context suggests the bill was generally supportive and noncontroversial in the sense that it reflects a negotiated settlement and the hospital district’s support for the claim bill. The stated history indicates the district had already paid the statutory maximum and agreed to support an additional $200,000 claim bill, which usually signals agreement among the parties on the need for legislative relief. The bill’s companion measure passed, while HB 6525 was laid on the table, indicating the relief itself was ultimately advanced through the Senate companion rather than through this House vehicle.
The main substantive issue underlying the bill is the alleged medical negligence by Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in failing to timely diagnose and treat a small bowel obstruction, which the bill says led to catastrophic injury and death. Any policy contention would likely center on the appropriateness of using a claim bill to provide additional compensation beyond the statutory sovereign immunity cap, and on the amount of the award relative to the already paid $300,000. The text itself does not reflect active committee debate or recorded opposition, and the settlement-backed nature of the claim suggests limited procedural controversy.