On March 22, 2023, Taylor Jenkins—a beautiful, vibrant 25-year-old woman—was officially declared brain dead. She lost her life due to reckless medical negligence and neglect at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Orlando, Florida, following being rear ended at a red light.

Taylor’s mother, a devoted single mom, not only lost her firstborn daughter that day but later discovered something even more devastating: under Florida law, Taylor is considered a "Free Kill." That means no legal accountability is possible—not because there wasn’t reckless negligence and neglect, but because of a cruel loophole in Florida law.

What is Florida's "Free Kill" Law?

Under Fla. Stat. §768.21, if a victim of medical malpractice is:

25 or older
Unmarried
Has no children

…their family has no legal standing to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit—even if gross negligence occurred.

This law is supposedly designed to protect doctors' insurance premiums—but at what cost? The cost is accountability, transparency, and basic justice. Florida is the only state in the country with such a law.

In pursuit of the truth, Taylor’s mother commissioned a private autopsy, which led the medical examiner to change Taylor’s cause of death—after discovering that the original cause provided by the hospital was non-existent. She also obtained a sworn affidavit from a respected Florida physician and expert witness, detailing the gross and reckless negligence and neglect that led to Taylor’s death.

According to this expert, the trauma surgeon failed to act despite repeated warnings from nurses about clear signs of internal bleeding. Rather than taking decisive action, he merely ordered more IV fluids. When he finally ordered a CT scan hours later—and was immediately informed by the radiologist that Taylor had internal bleeding—the surgeon still did not act. He allowed Taylor to continue bleeding internally for an additional six hours before finally sending her to emergency surgery.

By the time she left the operating room on March 18, 2023, the trauma surgeon documented that Taylor exhibited no signs of brain stem function—she was already brain dead but her family was led to believe otherwise until March 20, 2023.

The hospital and doctors whose reckless negligence and inexcusable disregard for Taylor’s condition cost her life are still practicing without consequence.

Who else has this hospital and its staff harmed or killed since?

This utter lack of accountability cannot continue.

Taylor Jenkins mattered. Her story matters. Help us ensure that no other family is left with heartbreak—and no path to justice.

Sign the petition. Share her story. Let’s end Florida’s “Free Kill” law.