Kevin Lovelace v. Broward County and G4s Secure Solutions (Usa), Inc.
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledMay 12, 2021
Docket4D20-1434
StatusPublished
📰 News Coverage: Read the LAWS.com news report on this case
Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA
FOURTH DISTRICT
KEVIN LOVELACE,
Appellant,
v.
G4S SECURE SOLUTIONS (USA), INC.,
Appellee.
No. 4D20-1434
[May 12, 2021]
Appeal from the Circuit Court for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit,
Broward County; Nicholas R. Lopane, Judge; L.T. Case No. CACE
16022936 (03).
Julie H. Littky-Rubin of Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-
Rubin, LLP, West Palm Beach, and Alana R. Weatherstone of Gordon &
Partners, Davie, for appellant.
Irwin R. Gilbert and Janine McGuire of Conrad & Scherer, LLP, Fort
Lauderdale, for appellee.
LEVINE, C.J.
Appellant alleged that appellee, G4S Secure Solutions (USA), Inc., was
negligent in failing to detect and remove a piece of plexiglass that appellant
fell on. The trial court granted summary judgment finding that sovereign
immunity under section 768.28(9)(a), Florida Statutes (2015), applied due
to the nature of the control that Broward County asserted over G4S. We
agree with the trial court and find that G4S was entitled to sovereign
immunity. However, we disagree with the trial court that subsection (9)(a)
applies and find that, under the facts of this case, G4S was entitled to
sovereign immunity under section 768.28(5), Florida Statutes (2015).
Thus, we affirm in part and reverse in part.
Broward County contracted with G4S to provide security services at
various county facilities including the Broward Government Center.
Appellant allegedly slipped and fell on a piece of plexiglass lying on the
ground outside the Broward Government Center. Appellant claimed that
G4S was negligent in failing to detect and remove the plexiglass. G4S
moved for summary judgment claiming that, as an agent of Broward
County, it was entitled to sovereign immunity under section 768.28(9)(a).
G4S cited to many provisions of the agreement between Broward County
and G4S to demonstrate the high level of control Broward County asserted
over G4S.
The agreement between Broward County and G4S contained the
following various provisions relevant to the issue of control and sovereign
immunity:
ARTICLE 5. INDEMNIFICATION
G4S shall at all times hereafter indemnify, hold harmless and
defend County and all of County’s current and former (limited
to the term of this Agreement) officers, agents, servants, and
employees (collectively, “Indemnified Party”) from and against
any and all causes of action, demands, claims, losses,
liabilities and expenditures of any kind, including reasonable
attorneys’ fees, court costs, and expenses (collectively, a
“Claim”), raised or asserted by any person or entity not a party
to this Agreement, which Claim is caused or alleged to be
caused, in whole or in part, by any intentional, reckless or
negligent act or omission of G4S, its current or former officers,
employees, agents, or servants, arising from, relating to, or in
connection with this Agreement. . . .
ARTICLE 6. INSURANCE
6.1 G4S shall maintain, at its sole expense and at all times
during the term of this Agreement (unless a different time
period is otherwise stated herein), at least the minimum
insurance coverage designated in Exhibit G [$1,000,000] in
accordance with the terms and conditions stated in this
Article.
....
ARTICLE 9. MISCELLANEOUS
....
9.3 Audit Rights, and Retention of Records. County shall
have the right to audit the books, records, and accounts of
2
G4S and its Subcontractors that are related to this
Agreement. . . .
G4S and its Subcontractors shall preserve and make
available, at reasonable times within Broward County for
examination and audit by County, all financial records,
supporting documents, statistical records, and any other
documents pertinent to this Agreement for a minimum period
of three (3) years after expiration or termination of this
Agreement or until resolution of any audit findings, whichever
is longer. . . .
....
9.6 Independent Contractor. G4S is an independent
contractor under this Agreement. In providing Services under
this Agreement, neither G4S nor its agents shall act as
officers, employees, or agents of County. . . .
Exhibit A to the agreement between Broward County and G4S also
addressed the scope of services, as well as the specifications and
requirements for “security guard services.” The provisions were as follows:
I. GENERAL:
A. . . . It is understood that such matters as total number of
guard hours required, scheduling, the advertising and
announcing of available services and location of posts will
have to be determined and/or adjusted from time to time
as the needs of the County dictate. . . .
B. . . . The County reserves the right to request any changes
in the number of guards, number of guard hours of
coverage and guard work locations that may be required
by the Using Agency.
....
D. The County reserves the right to add, delete or make
changes to any guard requirements, including hours of
coverage, post location, numbers of posts, number of
guards, Guard Class, etc. . . .
....
3
F. Upon written or verbal request of any Using Agency
Representative or the Contract Administrator, the
Contractor shall remove any security guard from a County
site and reassign such guard or take other appropriate
action. Such request may be made by the Contract
Administrator or a Using Agency Representative for
operational reasons, or because the appearance,
demeanor, or conduct of such guard is unsatisfactory.
County reserves the right to request a change in personnel
without providing a specific reason.
....
II. REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONTRACTOR:
THE CONTRACTOR:
A. Shall have available qualified, competent, active knowledge
of contract specifications, and experienced management
staff during the hours that service is being provided who
shall have the overall responsibility for supervising
security services to be provided under this Agreement. . . .
....
E. Will ensure that Contractor’s employees will abide by all
rules and regulations as set forth by the Using Agencies.
....
G. Shall make available to the Contract Administrator and the
Using Agencies, upon request, on an ongoing basis
throughout the term of this contract, the complete
personnel file of each employee to be assigned to work
under this contract. . . .
....
III. EMPLOYEE SPECIFICATION:
....
4
B. KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS: All employees
assigned to the County under this contract must meet the
following criteria:
1 Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations
with the general public and other employees.
2 Ability to maintain clerical records and prepare written
reports as required.
3 Ability to work effectively and efficiently without direct
supervision.
4 Ability to detect and report unsafe conditions.
5 To be polite, courteous and cooperative at all times,
especially during times of stress.
C. QUALIFICATIONS:
All employees assigned to County under this contract must
satisfy the following criteria:
....
8 If requested by the Using Agency, guards must be reviewed
and/or interviewed and receive approval by Using Agency
Representative before acceptance for the assignment.
....
E. SECURITY GUARD TASKS SHALL INCLUDE AS
APPROPRIATE:
(1) Reports to work on time and holds over on assigned duties
until relieved as required.
(2) Maintains good personal and uniform appearance; is
courteous to the public and county personnel at all times.
(3) Covers an assignment at a fixed post or patrol an area or
facility for the purpose of detecting and preventing
individuals or groups from committing acts which are
injurious to others or to property.
5
(4) Intervenes to terminate injurious acts and may only
attempt to detain individuals as a last resort. However, call
9-911 for local law enforcement to arrive.
(5) Communicates effectively with the public and County
personnel; directs visitors to personnel and services within
the facility.
(6) Visually screens and prepares written record of contents of
packages/parcels being carried in and out of the facility to
secure against theft; ensures that transmittal forms
accompanying materials being removed from the facility
contain a necessary authorizing signature.
(7) Makes patrols in accordance with routes and schedules
established in the Post Orders. Where installed and in
working order, the watchman reporting systems shall be
used by uniformed personnel to record their presence at
the designated stations.
(8) Raises and lowers flags at designated times.
(9) Verifies the security of safes and other areas where
equipment or materials of value are stored.
(10) Locks and unlocks gates and doors at designated times.
(11) Turns up lighting at the beginning of each business day
to permit ingress of employees, vendors and authorized
personnel, reduces and/or turns off lighting as required.
(12) Ensures that only authorized personnel are permitted
access to closed or restricted facilities or areas by
detaining unidentified or unauthorized individuals.
(13) Responds to reports of ill or injured patrons, visitors, or
employee, renders first aid, and notifies supervisor if
further assistance is considered necessary or desirable.
(14) Performs minor operations and/or records data in
connection with the operation of facility utility systems
when required by written instructions from the Building
Manager.
6
(15) Reports safety hazards, malfunctioning equipment, liquid
spills, and other such matters to appropriate
maintenance personnel.
(16) Monitors and operates facility fire alarm and intrusion
detection systems and other protection devices or facility
equipment.
(17) Responds to scene of locally activated fire, burglary or
other alarms, or other emergency situations, evaluate
situations encountered, and takes action as prescribed in
Post Orders and/or facility self-protection plans.
(18) Investigates questionable acts or behavior observed or
reported on County premises and questions witnesses
and suspects to ascertain or verify facts.
(19) Operates a motor vehicle where required.
(20) Maintains order and uses good judgment and discretion
in handling unruly or trespassing public.
(21) Maintains daily logs and writes daily reports, incident
reports, and nonemployee injury reports.
(22) Provides escort services and assists other security
personnel as required.
(23) Operates Lost and Found in a manner that allows the
public to claim lost items.
(24) Directs traffic, controls parking, issues parking violation
warnings as authorized by the Contract Administrator.
(25) Maintains order within areas of assignment.
(26) Operates an entrance control post. Operates and
enforces a system of personnel identification. Performs
package inspection when directed by the Contract
Administrator through Post Orders. Checks identification
cards and records names of ALL PERSONNEL wishing to
enter the facility after normal working hours.
7
(27) Conducts Screening Procedures to include x-ray
machines, hand held and walk through magnetometers.
Conducts pat downs when necessary to prevent
unauthorized items from entering county facilities or
meetings held by the Board of County Commissioners.
(28) Safeguards and protects all existing structures, utilities,
service, roads, trees, shrubbery, etc. against damage or
interrupted service. Contractor shall be held responsible
for any damage to the property occurring by reason of the
negligence of Contractor’s employees or agents on the
property.
(29) If requested, have the training and ability to use
particular computer applications, as required by the job
site.
IV. TRAINING
A. GENERAL
....
2 All employees assigned to this contract must already have
completed orientation and basic training by the Contractor
including at least sixteen (16) hours facility operations
before the employee is allowed to perform any services for
the County. Evidence of this must be provided to the
county prior to assigning the employee. This training will
be at the Contractor’s expense.
....
B. EVALUATION OF TRAINING
The Contract Administrator, and the Using Agencies as
applicable will evaluate the quality and completeness of
training provided to all Contractor personnel. Evaluations
will include, but not be limited to, reviews of techniques
and methods of instruction, quality of instructors,
motivation, adequacy of classroom and supportive adjunct
training materials, test content, and individual guards’
retentiveness. The Contract Administrator and the Using
Agencies may request as applicable the work history and
8
any of the above documents prior to an individual
assignment. . . .
....
D. COURSE OF INSTRUCTION
. . . A representative(s) of the Contract Administrator may
visit the training classes without notice, to monitor this
course.
....
F. TRAINING FOR SECURITY PERSONNEL
1. Basic Instructional Training
Each contract security guard is to receive a minimum of 40
hours total of classroom instruction, excluding firearms
qualification, in the subject areas listed [“Use of
Communications Equipment,” “Protection of Facility,”
“Report Writing,” “Basic First Aid – including CPR and
AED,” “Special Situations,” and “Emergency Services”]
. . . . [T]he proposed course of instruction [is] to be
submitted to the Contract Administrator for review . . . .
2. Testing Requirements
As part of this training, the Contractor shall administer to
each employee a two-part written test designed to confirm
and evaluate the employee’s level of understanding.
....
3. Site Orientation Training
The Contractor shall provide a minimum of sixteen (16)
hours of onsite training for Security Guards for each shift
to be worked in order to familiarize each guard with the
post. . . .
4. Refresher Training (RT)
Periodic training of each employee is required to be
conducted by contract supervisors in order to insure
continued understanding of and familiarity with existing or
new facility conditions. . . .
....
9
VI. COUNTY-FURNISHED ITEMS
....
A. FACILITY POST ORDERS
Post orders are to be prepared, with reasonable and periodic
update, for each individual post by Using Agency
Representative, with the advice of the Contract Administrator.
The Contract Administrator shall have the responsibility for
distributing a single copy of the subject post orders to the
Contractor, who shall in turn be responsible for ensuring
appropriate distribution of the orders to all field security
personnel. The Contractor shall not make any alterations to
the post orders except as specifically approved in writing by
the Using Agency Representative, or the Contract
Administrator.
A security guard from G4S, working on the date of the incident, testified
that she worked alongside Broward County’s security guards and that she
supplemented the Broward County’s own security team assigned to the
Broward Government Center. The full staff consisted of one person at the
front desk, two people watching security cameras, two people performing
perimeter checks, one person inside the government center, one person
outside, one person in the garage, and one person in the back of the
building. Additionally, there would be two supervisors from the county.
This security guard testified that she reported to the supervisors from
Broward County and did not report to anybody from G4S.
Security was responsible for checking the perimeter of the Broward
Government Center. According to the security guard, it was the policy of
Broward County to check the perimeter once an hour.
The trial court found that G4S was an agent of Broward County. The
trial court concluded that although there was language in the agreement
seemingly to avoid an agency relationship, the “other provisions and
evidence establish that Broward County has a degree of control over G4S’s
operations that creates an agency relationship.” The trial court relied on
the following provisions that demonstrated Broward County’s extensive
control: Broward County’s control of hiring, removal, and training of G4S
employees, the requirement to follow Broward County’s standard
operating procedures, Broward County’s unilateral right to change the
scope of services, and Broward County’s right to audit the records of G4S.
The trial court concluded that G4S was entitled to sovereign immunity
under section 768.28(9)(a), Florida Statutes. This appeal follows.
10
We review the issue of sovereign immunity under the de novo standard
of review. Town of Gulf Stream v. Palm Beach Cnty., 206 So. 3d 721, 725
(Fla. 4th DCA 2016). Summary judgment is also subject to the de novo
standard of review. Volusia Cnty. v. Aberdeen at Ormond Beach, L.P., 760
So. 2d 126, 130 (Fla. 2000). “Summary judgment is proper if there is no
genuine issue of material fact and if the moving party is entitled to a
judgment as a matter of law.” Id.
I. County Limitations on G4S Employee
Article X, section 13 of the Florida Constitution provides: “Provision
may be made by general law for bringing suit against the state as to all
liabilities now existing or hereafter originating.” The legislature
subsequently exercised its authority and enacted section 768.28, which
provides a limited waiver of the state’s sovereign immunity for torts. The
statute authorizes tort claims against “[t]he state and its agencies and
subdivisions,” but limits the liability for such claims to $200,000. §
768.28(5), Fla. Stat. (2015). “State agencies or subdivisions” is defined to
include “corporations primarily acting as instrumentalities or agencies of
the state, counties, or municipalities . . . .” § 768.28(2), Fla. Stat. (2015).
The statute also provides:
No officer, employee, or agent of the state or of any of its
subdivisions shall be held personally liable in tort or named
as a party defendant in any action for any injury or damage
suffered as a result of any act, event, or omission of action in
the scope of her or his employment or function . . . .
§ 768.28(9)(a), Fla. Stat. (2015).
The immunity authorized by section 768.28 to the state and its
subdivisions can extend to “certain private parties who are involved in
contractual relationships with the state, provided that such parties are
‘agents’ of the state.” M.S. v. Nova Se. Univ. Inc., 881 So. 2d 614, 617 (Fla.
4th DCA 2004). Whether the party who contracted with the state is an
agent of the state for the purposes of section 768.28, Florida Statutes,
turns on the degree of control retained or exercised by the state agency or
subdivision. Stoll v. Noel, 694 So. 2d 701, 703 (Fla. 1997). “[T]he right to
control depends upon the terms of the employment contract.” Id. Thus,
the focus should be on “the right to control, not the actual control . . . .”
Villazon v. Prudential Health Care Plan, Inc., 843 So. 2d 842, 846 (Fla.
2003).
11
Independent contractors are not precluded from being agents of the
state, thereby entitling them to statutory immunity from suit and liability.
Stoll, 694 So. 2d at 703. “One who contracts to act on behalf of another
and subject to the other’s control except with respect to his physical
conduct is an agent and also an independent contractor.” Id. (citation
omitted).
Further, although “express intent regarding agency status is to be
considered in deciding the issue” of control, “it is not dispositive.” G4S
Secure Sols. (USA), Inc. v. Morrow, 210 So. 3d 92, 94 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016).
Significantly, “[i]f the provisions of the contract governing the state’s right
to control are inconsistent with the parties’ expressed intent, the nature of
the relationship controls over the label.” Id.; see also Robinson v. Linzer,
758 So. 2d 1163, 1164 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000) (“The actual relationship,
however, not the label, determines whether there is an agency.”).
Several cases are instructive regarding the degree of control necessary
to create an agency relationship. In Stoll, a patient brought a malpractice
action against physicians at a clinic run by the Florida Department of
Health and Rehabilitative Services (“HRS”). 694 So. 2d at 702. The
consulting contract between the physicians and HRS required that the
physicians abide by the terms published in the HRS manual and clinic
consultant’s guide. Id. at 703. Under those terms, all services provided
to patients must be authorized in advance by the clinic medical director;
the clinic had the responsibility to supervise and direct the medical care
of all patients; and the clinic medical director had absolute authority over
payment for treatments proposed by physicians. Id. Based on the degree
of control retained by the clinic, the supreme court found that the
physicians were agents of the state and thus entitled to statutory
immunity, notwithstanding their independent contractor status. Id. at
702-03.
In Bean v. University of Miami, 252 So. 3d 810, 813-15 (Fla. 3d DCA
2018), patients brought malpractice lawsuits against a university that
provided patient services at a government teaching hospital operated by a
trust. The affiliation agreement between the university and the trust
showed that the trust “retained and exercised a degree of control sufficient
to make the university the trust’s ‘agent’ for” purposes of sovereign
immunity. Id. at 819. Pursuant to the agreement:
The university agreed to abide by the trust’s bylaws, rules,
and regulations. . . . [T]he university agreed that the trust
was responsible for providing patient services; had final
authority over all care and treatment; and “could refuse to
12
allow a course of treatment for any patient for medical, policy,
or budgetary reasons.” . . . [T]he university agreed that the
trust set the standard of care, and had the authority to
prescribe bylaws, rules, and regulations. . . . [T]he university
agreed that the trust would determine the activities and
manner in which patient services were performed at [the]
hospital. And . . . the university agreed that the trust would
supervise the training of medical residents; the university
would teach its students consistent with trust rules and
regulations; and the trust had the authority to deny privileges
to any university doctor.
Id. (citation omitted).
In Horn v. Volusia County, No. 6:08–cv–18–Orl–19DAB, 2008 WL
977179, at *1 (M.D. Fla. Apr. 9, 2008), the estate of an inmate brought a
wrongful death action against Prison Health Services, Inc. (“PHS”), a
private company that provided medical services to inmates. The court
found that the contractual provisions between the county and PHS were
sufficient to establish that PHS was an agent of the state and therefore
entitled to immunity. Id. at *6. The contract stated that PHS was the
county’s agent; the contract required PHS to meet or exceed several
standards of care, including the Florida Model Jail Standards; and the
contract allowed the county to alter, delete, and revise the scope of services
provided by PHS. Id.
G4S Secure Solutions (USA), Inc. v. Morrow is most instructive. In
Morrow, a personal representative filed suit against G4S due to the death
of a prisoner at the hands of another prisoner while being transported by
G4S. 210 So. 3d at 93. G4S had an agreement with the Pinellas County
Sheriff’s Office to transport prisoners. Id. The agreement expressed an
intent to avoid creating an agency relationship between the sheriff’s office
and G4S. Id. at 94. The agreement also contained an indemnification and
hold harmless provision. Id. Despite the expressed intent not to create an
agency relationship, the court determined that the sheriff’s office had a
degree of control over G4S’s operation that created an agency relationship
under section 768.28. Id. The court explained:
PCSO exercises extensive control over the hiring and
training of G4S employees. PCSO participates in the
interviews of potential G4S hires and has the final say over
who is hired. PCSO also has the ability to have a G4S
employee fired at will. PCSO conducts the training of G4S
employees, and the employees are trained according to PCSO
13
procedures. In fact, G4S is required to comply with all of
PCSO’s “standards, policies, training, and directives.” G4S is
also required to create and update standard operating
procedures (SOPs) subject to PCSO approval.
PCSO also retains control over G4S’s budget in relation to
the agreement, including employee salaries and pricing
schedule. PCSO has the final say over wage increases and
billing rates, and G4S is subject to audits by PCSO.
Additionally, G4S must obtain PCSO’s prior written approval
of any overtime requests and must submit monthly sign-in
sheets and invoices to PCSO.
Finally, PCSO is highly involved in the day-to-day
operations of G4S. G4S employees receive orders directly
from PCSO’s dispatch officer, and they are in constant
contact. PCSO supplies and maintains the transport vehicles
and equipment, and PCSO monitors the vehicles while they
are in transit. G4S is required to report daily attendance
records at all posts, and PCSO has the authority to change
G4S employee schedules “as necessary.” G4S must assign a
contact person who is required to meet with PCSO’s contract
administrator “at a minimum of once each week/month as
directed.”
Id. at 94-95.
Applying all the foregoing authority, we find the trial court correctly
determined that Broward County asserted a degree of control over G4S
such that it was an agent of Broward County under section 768.28.
Broward County had the right to review and approve security guards,
remove security guards, review personnel files, audit G4S’s records, and
make changes to the security guard requirements. Broward County
required G4S employees to abide by the county’s rules and regulations,
and Broward County set the criteria, qualifications, training, and testing
requirements for G4S employees. G4S employees were required to comply
with Broward County’s post orders. In the agreement with G4S, Broward
County enumerated twenty-nine tasks required of G4S’s security guards.
Those tasks included making patrols in accordance with routes and
schedules established in the post orders, responding to reports of injuries,
reporting safety hazards to maintenance personnel, and maintaining daily
logs and reports of injuries.
The deposition testimony from the G4S security guard demonstrated
14
that G4S guards worked alongside Broward County’s security guards, and
both the Broward County guards and the G4S guards reported to Broward
County supervisors. G4S guards did not report daily to anyone from G4S.
The overwhelming evidence in fact demonstrates that Broward County
created an agency relationship with G4S by virtue of “retaining and
exercising extensive control over G4S’s operations.” Morrow, 210 So. 3d
at 95. This case, like all cases regarding a potential agency relationship
with a governmental entity, “turns on the degree of control retained or
exercised” by the governmental body. Stoll, 694 So. 2d at 703. The record
in this case supports the trial court granting summary judgment in favor
of G4S regarding agency status. Agency status “may be decided as a
question of law ‘in those cases where the party opposing summary
judgment is unable to point to any conflicting facts or inferences to be
drawn from the facts.’” Morrow, 210 So. 3d at 96 (quoting M.S., 881 So.
2d at 617).
Like in Morrow, in the present case, G4S produced the agreement and
the testimony of a G4S employee demonstrating the high level of control
asserted by Broward County over G4S. Appellant did “not challenge any
of the established facts or inferences from those facts.” Id. Although the
agreement contained an indemnification clause, required G4S to maintain
insurance, and expressed an intent not to create an agency relationship,
like in Morrow, we find these factors are not dispositive. An “express intent
regarding agency status . . . is not dispositive.” Id. at 94. Thus, like
Morrow, the trial court did not err in finding the controls in place by the
governmental body over G4S created an agency relationship under section
768.28, Florida Statutes.
II. Limitations on Liability
We next need to determine whether the trial court erred in relying on
the limitation on liability pursuant to section 768.28(9), as opposed to
section 768.28(5). We find that the trial court did err and that the plain
language of the statute requires the limitation on liability be pursuant to
section 768.28(5).
Section 768.28(5) provides:
The state and its agencies and subdivisions shall be liable for
tort claims in the same manner and to the same extent as a
private individual under like circumstances . . . . Neither the
state nor its agencies or subdivisions shall be liable to pay a
15
claim or a judgment by any one person which exceeds the sum
of $200,000 . . . .
“State agencies or subdivisions” is defined to include “corporations
primarily acting as instrumentalities or agencies of the state, counties, or
municipalities . . . .” § 768.28(2), Fla. Stat. (emphasis added).
In contrast, section 768.28(9)(a) states:
No officer, employee, or agent of the state or of any of its
subdivisions shall be held personally liable in tort or named
as a party defendant in any action for any injury or damage
suffered as a result of any act, event, or omission of action in
the scope of her or his employment or function . . . .
An “[o]fficer, employee, or agent” is defined as including, but not limited
to:
any health care provider when providing services pursuant to
s. 766.1115; any nonprofit independent college or university
located and chartered in this state which owns or operates an
accredited medical school, and its employees or agents, when
providing patient services pursuant to paragraph (10)(f); and
any public defender or her or his employee or agent, including,
among others, an assistant public defender and an
investigator.
§ 768.28(9)(b)(2), Fla. Stat.
In Morrow, 210 So. 3d at 96, the court affirmed summary judgment in
favor of G4S based on section 768.28(5). The plain language of section
768.28 leads to the conclusion that subsection (5) would also apply to G4S
in this case as well. In contrast, subsection (9) applies to an “officer,
employee, or agent of the state.” Further, subsection (9) states that those
individuals may not be “personally liable.” Black’s Law Dictionary (11th
ed. 2019) defines “personal liability” as “[l]iability for which one is
personally accountable and for which a wronged party can seek
satisfaction out of the wrongdoer’s personal assets.” It defines “personal”
as “[o]f or affecting a person.” The United States Supreme Court has found
that the ordinary usage of the word “personal” refers to individuals, not
corporations. FCC v. AT & T Inc., 562 U.S. 397, 403 (2011). A court must
interpret a statute to effectuate its plain and obvious meaning and may
not add an exclusion that the statute does not provide. Kelly v. Green Tree
Servicing, LLC, 300 So. 3d 244, 245-46 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020).
16
This interpretation is consistent with other cases that have considered
the application of subsections (5) and (9). See Pagan v. Sarasota Cnty.
Pub. Hosp. Bd., 884 So. 2d 257, 260 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004) (considering
whether doctors had immunity under section 768.28(9)(a) and whether a
physicians group had immunity under section 768.28(5)); Stoll, 694 So. 2d
at 703 (finding that physicians were agents of the state and thus entitled
to statutory immunity under section 768.28(9)); Keck v. Eminisor, 104 So.
3d 359, 367-77 (Fla. 2012) (finding that a trolley driver was entitled to
immunity under section 768.28(9)(a)); Theodore ex rel. Theodore v.
Graham, 733 So. 2d 538 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999) (considering whether a
physician was immune from suit under section 768.28(9)); but see M.S.,
881 So. 2d at 617, 620 (finding that a genuine issue of material fact existed
as to whether a preschool was an agent of the school board entitled to
sovereign immunity under subsection (9)(a)). Thus, because subsection
(9) does not apply to G4S under the plain language of the statute and the
facts of this case, the trial court should have granted partial summary
judgment in favor of G4S under section 768.28(5).
In summary, we affirm the trial court in finding that Broward County’s
degree of control over G4S created an agency relationship and thus, as a
result, G4S fell within the limitation of liability under section 768.28.
However, we reverse the finding of the trial court as to applicability of
section 768.28(9) and find that section 768.28(5) is the applicable
subsection. Thus, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for entry
of partial summary judgment in favor of G4S under section 768.28(5) and
further proceedings consistent with this opinion. 1
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for further proceedings
consistent with this opinion.
GROSS and KLINGENSMITH, JJ., concur.
* * *
Not final until disposition of timely filed motion for rehearing.
1See Fluid Dynamics Holdings LLC v. City of Jacksonville, 3:14-CV-1454-J-
32MCR, 2017 WL 3723367, at *6 (M.D. Fla. Aug. 29, 2017), aff’d, 752 Fed. Appx.
924 (11th Cir. 2018).
17