Senate Bill sb0044

    Florida Senate - 2001        (NP)                        SB 44

    By Senator Holzendorf





    32-45-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Volusia County; providing

  3         for the relief of Terri Yost, individually and

  4         as Personal Representative of the Estate of

  5         Joseph Michael Colopy and for the relief of

  6         Michael Colopy; authorizing and directing

  7         Volusia County to compensate them for the

  8         wrongful death of Joseph Michael Colopy, a

  9         minor, due to the negligence of an employee of

10         the county; providing an effective date.

11

12         WHEREAS, on August 13, 1997, Joseph Michael Colopy, a

13  minor, was operating a bicycle on Miles Drive at the

14  intersection of Spruce Creek Road a/k/a State Road 5-A in

15  Volusia County, and

16         WHEREAS, Volusia County had in operation its public

17  transportation service, Votran, which traveled on Spruce Creek

18  Road, and

19         WHEREAS, an employee of Votran, who was operating a

20  Votran bus, negligently operated and/or maintained the bus so

21  that it collided with the bicycle being operated by Joseph

22  Michael Colopy, and

23         WHEREAS, as a result of that collision, Joseph Michael

24  Colopy suffered catastrophic injuries that necessitated his

25  ongoing medical care for more than a year and ultimately

26  caused his death on July 28, 1999, and

27         WHEREAS, the total medical costs incurred by Joseph

28  Michael Colopy before his death totaled approximately

29  $697,722.75, and

30

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001        (NP)                        SB 44
    32-45-01




  1         WHEREAS, litigation has been filed in Volusia County

  2  and trial was scheduled to begin on the December 11, 2000,

  3  trial docket, NOW, THEREFORE,

  4

  5  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  6

  7         Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this

  8  act are found and declared to be true.

  9         Section 2.  Volusia County is authorized and directed

10  to compensate Terri Yost, individually and as Personal

11  Representative of the Estate of Joseph Michael Colopy, a

12  minor, in the amount of $___________ and to compensate Michael

13  Colopy in the amount of $_____________, out of funds of the

14  county not otherwise appropriated, for the wrongful death of

15  Joseph Michael Colopy, deceased minor, who was the natural

16  child of Terri Yost and Michael Colopy.

17         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

18  law.

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.