HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution - 2007-R0395 - Settlement Agreement - Martha Dillon V. COL - 08/23/2007Resolution No. 2007—RO395
August 23, 2007
Item No. 5.32
RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LUBBOCK:
THAT the Mayor of the City of Lubbock BE and is hereby authorized and directed to
execute for and on behalf of the City of Lubbock a Settlement Agreement in Cause No. 2006-
536,290, 99t1i District Court, Lubbock County, Texas, Martha Dillon v. City of Lubbock. Said
Agreement is attached hereto and incorporated in this Resolution as if fully set forth herein and
shall be included in the minutes of this Council.
Passed by the City Council this 23rd
ATTEST:
Reb cca Garza, City Secretary
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
LeeAnn Dumbauld, City Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
JedHgrfsell, Assistant City Attorney
vwfccdocs/DillonSet.Agree. Res.
August 13, 2007
day of August '2007.
JIM GILBREATH, MAYOR PRO TEM
COMPROMISE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
AND RELEASE OF ALL CLAIMS
This Compromise Settlement Agreement and Release of All Claims ("Settlement
Agreement") is entered into by and between the Defendant, City of Lubbock, ("City"),
and Martha Dillon, the ("Claimant".)
RECITALS
WHEREAS, on or about April 14, 2005, Claimant was driving her vehicle in the
3500 block of Knoxville Avenue, and was involved in a collision with a driver of a
vehicle driven by a City of Lubbock employee ("Activities"); and
WHEREAS, the City's driver was cited for being at fault in the accident by the
investigating officer; and
WHEREAS, the Claimant alleges that the City of Lubbock's driver was negligent
in operating his vehicle; and
WHEREAS, Claimant filed suit in the 99�h District Court of Lubbock County,
Texas, styled Cause No. 2006-536,290, Martha Dillon v. City of Lubbock; and
WHEREAS, the City denies any liability to Claimant for any claim or cause of
action, but is willing to settle all claims to avoid the inconvenience, distractions,
uncertainties and expenses attendant to litigation and trial, in exchange for the
consideration and releases set forth below.
1. IN CONSIDERATION of the payment by the City to the Claimant, of the sum of
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND and No/100 Dollars ($200,000.00), plus court
costs and mediation fees, Claimant does hereto enter into this Settlement
Agreement and does hereby release, acquit, and forever discharge the City, its
respective predecessors, successors, assigns, owners, City Council, partners,
members, managers, employees, directors, legal representatives, insurers,
independent contractors, agents and attorneys (the "Releasees"), of and from any
and all liability, claims, demands, damages, attorney's fees, costs, liens, including
but not limited to any hospital, medical, insurance, Medicare or Medicaid liens,
workers compensation, whether statutorily provided or otherwise, expenses,
services, actions, causes of action, or suit in equity, of whatsoever kind or nature,
whether heretofore or hereafter accruing, which Claimant now has or may
hereafter have, whether known or unknown, arising out of the Activities, admitted
or suffered as of, or related to, the Claim or Activities.
2. Payment shall be made by check payable to "Martha Dillon and her attorney J.
Edwin Price" after this Settlement Agreement is signed by all parties.
3. Claimant hereby agrees to pay any outstanding liens, claims, or rights of
subrogation that may now or hereafter exist arising out of or relating to this
occurrence. Claimant further agrees to escrow the amount of any outstanding
medical liens until they have been resolved.
4. This Settlement Agreement includes any transaction, occurrence, matter or thing
whatsoever, whether known or unknown, arising or occurring due to this incident
including, but not limited to, all claims, demands, causes of actions of any nature,
whether in contract or in tort, or arising out of, under or by virtue of any statute or
regulation, that are recognized by law or that may be created or recognized in the
future by any manner, including, without limitation, by statute, regulation, or
judicial decision, for past, present and future damage or loss, or remedies of any
kind that are now recognized by law or that may be created or recognized in the
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future by any manner, and including but not limited to the following: all actual
damages, all exemplary and punitive damages, all penalties of any kind or
statutory damages. Claimant hereby declares that she fully understands the terms
of this Settlement Agreement and voluntarily accepts the above stated sum for the
purposes of making full and final settlement of any and all the injuries, damages,
expenses, and inconvenience above mentioned.
5. This Settlement Agreement may be pled as a full and complete defense to any
action, suit, or other proceeding, which may be instituted, prosecuted or attempted
for, upon, or in respect of any of the claims released hereby. The Claimant agrees
that any such proceeding would cause irreparable injury to the party against
whom it is brought and that any court of competent jurisdiction may enter an
injunction restraining prosecution thereof.
6. The Claimant agrees that the damages suffered by the City, and persons, firms,
corporations, or other entities protected by this Settlement Agreement by reason
of any breach of any provision of this Settlement Agreement shall include not
only the amount of any judgment that may be rendered against said City, persons,
funis, corporations, or other entities, or any of them, by reason of a breach of this
Settlement Agreement, but shall also include all damages suffered by them,
including the cost of attorneys' fees and other costs and expenses of instituting,
preparing, prosecuting, defending any action or suit resulting from a breach of this
Settlement Agreement, whether taxable or otherwise, and costs to them of
attorneys' fees and all other costs and expenses of instituting, preparing, or
prosecuting any counterclaim, suit, motion, or action or action to recover damages
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resulting from the breach of this Settlement Agreement, whether taxable or
otherwise.
7. Claimant hereby represents and warrants that she, and she alone, owns the
claimed rights, interests, demands, actions, or causes of action, obligations, or any
other matter covered by this Settlement Agreement (the "Claimed Rights"), and
that she has not transferred, conveyed, pledged, assigned or made any other
disposition of the Claimed Rights. Claimant agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Releasees from and against any and all claims, demands, or causes
of action and the reasonable and necessary costs, including attorneys' fees,
incurred in the defense of any such claim that any person who claims an
ownership, including any liens whether statutory or otherwise, in the claimed
rights, interests, demands, actions, or causes of action, obligations, or any other
matter covered by this Settlement Agreement.
8. The terms of this Settlement Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be
binding upon, the Claimant, Releasees, and her heirs, legal representatives,
successors or assigns.
9. All signatories to this Settlement Agreement hereby warrant that they have the
authority to execute this Settlement Agreement and bind the respective parties.
10. This Settlement Agreement states the entire agreement of the parties with respect
to the matters discussed herein, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral
or written understandings, agreements, statements or promises.
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11. This Settlement Agreement may not be amended or modified in any respect
except by a written instrument duly executed by all of the parties to this
Settlement Agreement.
12. If this Settlement Agreement does not become effective for any reason, it shall be
deemed negotiations for settlement purposes only and will not be admissible in
evidence or usable for any purposes whatsoever.
13. This Settlement Agreement has been and shall be construed to have been drafted
by all parties to it so that the rule of construing ambiguities against the drafter
shall have no force or effect.
14. If any portion or term of this Settlement Agreement is held unenforceable by a
court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Settlement Agreement shall
not be affected and shall remain fully in force and enforceable.
15. Each party has consulted with whatever consultants, attorneys or other advisors
each deems appropriate concerning the effect of this Settlement Agreement and
Claimant assumes the risk arising from not seeking further or additional
consultation with such advisors.
16. Each party assumes the risk of any mistake of fact or law with regard to any
aspect of this Settlement Agreement, the dispute described herein, or any asserted
rights released by this Settlement Agreement.
17. Claimant, by entering into this Settlement Agreement, acknowledge that this
settlement is a compromise of a disputed claim as to the liability of the Releasees
for the Claimant's injuries and damages, if any, and the payment made herein is
not to be construed as an admission of liability on the part of the Releasees. It is
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understood that the existence of any liability or wrongdoing has been, and
continues to be, expressly denied by the Releasees.
18. All parties to this Settlement Agreement acknowledge and agree that they have
obtained legal representation and advice, as they have deemed appropriate in
entering into this Settlement Agreement.
19. Each party further state that this Settlement Agreement, including the foregoing
release, has been carefully read and each party understands the contents thereof
and has signed the same as their own respective free act and has not been
influenced in making this settlement by any representative of a party or parties
released.
20. It is further understood that the provisions of this Settlement Agreement are
contractual and not mere recitals and that the laws of the State of Texas shall
govern this Settlement Agreement.
21. The parties agree that after payment has been delivered to the Claimant's attorney
that the Claimant's attorney will sign the attached "Agreed Motion to Dismiss"
which is attached hereto and incorporated herein and labeled Exhibit "A".
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EXECUTED this 17 day of< , 2007.
STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF LUBBOCK
Before me, the undersigned authority, personally appeared MARTHA DILLON,
known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument and
acknowledged to me that he executed the same for the purposes and consideration therein
expressed.
'#� r LEESA D. PRI{
MY COMMISSION EXPIRES
g' June 20, 2009
STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF LUBBOCK §
l'Ot ublic
My Commission expires:
CITY OF LUBBOCK
By:
JIM GILBREATH, MAYOR PRO TEM
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Before me, the undersigned authority, personally appeared JIM GILBREATH,
known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument and
acknowledged to me that she executed the same for the purposes and consideration
therein expressed.
CELIA WEBB Notar tic
Notary Pylic, State of Texas My Commission expires: 0,3 _ 01- 2.0 t (?
My Conxni Wn Expires 03-01-2010
5...�Z.r�Lugust, 2007.
CAUSE NO. 2006-536,290
MARTHA DILLON § IN THE 99T" DISTRICT COURT
VS. § OF
CITY OF LUBBOCK § LUBBOCK COUNTY, TEXAS
MOTION TO DISMISS
THE CITY OF LUBBOCK, Defendant, and MARTHA DILLON, Plaintiff, move the
Court to dismiss the cause for the reason that all matters of fact and things in controversy have been
fully and finally compromised and settled by and between the parties hereto.
WHEREFORE, Defendant and Plaintiff request that the Court enter its order dismissing said
cause with prejudice to the rights of Plaintiff to refile same or any part thereof.
Respectfully submitted,
CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS
JEFF HARTSELL,
Attorney for City of Lubbock
P.O. Box 2000
Lubbock, Texas 79457
(806) 775-2213
J. EDWIN PRICE,
Attorney for Martha Dillon
2301 Broadway
Lubbock, Texas 79401
(806) 747-5000