By Sarah Lundy
Orlando Sentinel
Copyright 2007 Sentinel Communications Co.
ORLANDO — Bob Flamily’s wife wept as she walked out of the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Her tears were for her husband — a former Orlando firefighter who finally had his day in the state’s highest court.
Flamily was supposed to be there, but a weak heart and complications from hepatitis C took his life two weeks ago. Flamily, 58, died May 22 at his home in St. Cloud.
But the seven justices in Tallahassee heard about his plight as one of his attorneys, Todd Sanders, argued the workers’ compensation case that began seven years ago.
They have not ruled on the case.
Flamily’s fight began in 1996, when the Orlando firefighter retired with a work-related heart problem.
He didn’t know he had hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus, when he signed an agreement with the city to receive $110,750 in workers’ compensation and full-disability pension.
He was diagnosed with the virus in 2000 and later learned he had abnormal blood-test results during his annual physicals with the city.
Flamily and other firefighters sued the city for failing to tell them about those results, and the city settled with the group for $600,000.
But Flamily continued to challenge his workers’ compensation agreement, claiming he entered into it under false pretenses in 1996 and, therefore, should get more money.
A trial court agreed and ordered the city to pay more than $140,000 in addition to the earlier settlement.
The city appealed the decision, and the First District Court of Appeals sided with the city and overturned the trial court’s ruling.
That’s what led Flamily to the Florida Supreme Court.
In addition to Flamily’s wife, Ramona, his mother and daughter attended Wednesday’s arguments.
“We had our chance and had our day in court,” said another Flamily attorney, Geoffrey Bichler. “It meant everything to Bob and everything to his family.”