House Bill hb0881

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 881

        By Representative Lee






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Martin County; providing for

  3         the relief of Margaret B. Helm for injuries and

  4         damages sustained as a result of the negligence

  5         of the Martin County Volunteer Fire Department;

  6         providing an effective date.

  7  

  8         WHEREAS, on March 21, 1999, Veronica Pochopin was

  9  driving at or near County Road 707 (Dixie Highway) at Jenson

10  Beach in Martin County, Florida, when an intoxicated bicyclist

11  rode into the path of her motor vehicle and was struck by Mrs.

12  Pochopin, and

13         WHEREAS, Margaret B. Helm, a passing motorist, stopped

14  to assist Mrs. Pochopin, and

15         WHEREAS, Margaret B. Helm, Veronica Pochopin, and Mrs.

16  Pochopin's husband, who was a passenger in the vehicle, were

17  sitting behind the damaged vehicle while Margaret B. Helm was

18  attempting to care for Mrs. Pochopin, and

19         WHEREAS, while Martin County volunteer firefighters

20  were attempting to extricate the body of the intoxicated

21  bicyclist from the front seat of the damaged vehicle, where it

22  had landed after coming through the windshield, the vehicle

23  went into reverse, running over Margaret B. Helm, and

24         WHEREAS, as a result of this incident, Margaret B. Helm

25  is now a paraplegic and is expected to remain so for the rest

26  of her life, and

27         WHEREAS, Margaret B. Helm and Martin County have

28  entered into a settlement agreement that requires Martin

29  County to pay, pursuant to a claim bill enacted by the

30  Legislature, the sum of $2,250,000, with $500,000 of this sum

31  to be paid in the form of an annuity, and

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 881

    734-103-01






  1         WHEREAS, the payment will not involve any tax increase

  2  in Martin County for the sole purpose of paying the amounts

  3  agreed to in the settlement agreement, 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 of this

  8  act are found and declared to be true.

  9         Section 2.  The Board of County Commissioners of Martin

10  County is authorized and directed to compensate Margaret B.

11  Helm in the amount of $2,250,000, consisting of $500,000 for

12  the purchase of an annuity by the Board of County

13  Commissioners of Martin County for the benefit of Margaret B.

14  Helm and a lump-sum payment payable to Margaret B. Helm in the

15  amount of $1,750,000, from funds of the county not otherwise

16  appropriated, as compensation for injuries and damages

17  sustained.

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

19  law.

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