A jury recently awarded $19.2 million to a Florida couple whose premature infant daughter received a massive overdose of nutrients at a Fort Myers hospital, but the family may never see most of it due to a cap on liability. The little girl is in a wheelchair for life and nearly blind due to the negligence of the hospital staff.

The cap, which is based on the concept of “sovereign immunity,” applies to public institutions, including public healthcare systems. (HealthPark Medical Center, where the event occurred, is part of the Lee Memorial Health System, a public health care system created by a special act of the Florida Legislature.) Sovereign immunity means that an employee, officer, or agent of the state and local governments is not held personally liable for negligence committed during the scope of his or her employment or function, unless the employee acts in bad faith or with malicious purpose. Instead, the state takes the place of the employee and defends the claim.