TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Almost 14 years after a Lee County girl was severely injured when she was hit by a truck, the U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that Florida’s Medicaid program will recover a portion of the money it paid for her initial care.
The crash occurred in November 2008 when 13-year-old Gianinna Gallardo was hit by a truck after getting off a Lee County school bus.
Florida’s Medicaid program paid $862,688 to cover Gallardo’s initial medical bills. The crash left Gallardo in a “persistent vegetative state,” according to the Supreme Court.
Gallardo’s parents filed a lawsuit against the truck’s owner, driver and the Lee County School Board. An $800,000 settlement was reached with $35,367 of it going towards past medical expenses.
