HB 1251

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act for the relief of Ronnie Lopez and Robert Guzman,
3individually and as Co-Personal Representatives of the
4Estate of Ana-Yency Velasquez, deceased, and for Ronnie
5Lopez, Jr., Ashley Lorena Lopez-Velasquez, and Steven
6Robert Guzman, minor children of Ana-Yency Velasquez, by
7Miami-Dade County; providing for an appropriation to
8compensate the estate and the minor children for the death
9of Ana-Yency Velasquez as a result of the negligence of an
10employee of Miami-Dade County; providing a limitation on
11attorney's fees, lobbying fees, and costs; providing an
12effective date.
13
14     WHEREAS, Ronnie Lopez, Co-Personal Representative of the
15Estate of Ana-Yency Velasquez, deceased, is the father of Ronnie
16Lopez, Jr., age 4, and Ashley Lorena Lopez-Velasquez, age 3, and
17Ana-Yency Velasquez, deceased, was the mother of Ronnie Lopez,
18Jr., and Ashley Lorena Lopez-Velasquez, and
19     WHEREAS, Robert Guzman, Co-Personal Representative of the
20Estate of Ana-Yency Velasquez, deceased, is the father of minor
21child, Steven Robert Guzman, age 8, and Ana-Yency Velasquez,
22Deceased, was the mother of Steven Robert Guzman, and
23     WHEREAS, on February 23, 2009, a Miami-Dade County Police
24Officer, when driving his marked police unit through an
25intersection, failed to obey a posted stop sign and also did not
26engage his lights or sirens, and
27     WHEREAS, protocol for the Miami-Dade County Police
28Department requires that lights and sirens be engaged whenever
29any police vehicle is in pursuit of another vehicle, and
30     WHEREAS, section 316.271, Florida Statutes, requires lights
31and sirens to be engaged whenever an authorized emergency
32vehicle is responding to an emergency or in the immediate
33pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, and
34     WHEREAS, the vehicle driven by the Miami-Dade County police
35unit was in pursuit of a phantom speeding vehicle at the time of
36the collision, and
37     WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade County police cruiser crashed into
38and broadsided the vehicle operated by Ana-Yency Velasquez, then
3923 years of age and the mother of three minor children, at the
40intersection of N.W. 112th St. and N.W. 12th Ave., and
41     WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade County police cruiser, operated by
42the officer struck the vehicle driven by Ana-Yency Velasquez
43with such force that her automobile crashed into the bedroom of
44a nearby residence, throwing debris from the automobile onto the
45roof of the residence, and
46     WHEREAS, Ana-Yency Velasquez was killed as a result of the
47negligence of an employee of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and
48     WHEREAS, mediation of the claims of this matter was held on
49November 17, 2010, and
50     WHEREAS, at mediation, Miami-Dade County acknowledged that
51the damages far exceeded the statutory limit of $200,000
52established under s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the
53representatives of Miami-Dade County agreed and entered into a
54Mediation Settlement Agreement, and
55     WHEREAS, in the Mediation Settlement Agreement, Miami-Dade
56County agreed to pay $150,000 to the plaintiffs under the
57statutory limits on damages and the remaining $50,000 was paid
58to the Co-Personal Representatives of the Estate of Ana-Yency
59Velasquez and to the owner of the house that incurred damage as
60a result of the crash, and
61     WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has paid $150,000 to the Co-
62Personal Representatives of the Estate of Ana-Yency Velasquez
63under the statutory limits of liability set forth in s. 768.28,
64Florida Statutes, and
65     WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has agreed in the Mediation
66Settlement Agreement to actively support the passage of a claims
67bill in the amount of $1,010,000, NOW, THEREFORE,
68
69Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
70
71     Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this act
72are found and declared to be true.
73     Section 2.  Miami-Dade County is authorized and directed to
74appropriate from funds of the county not otherwise appropriated
75and to draw a warrant in the sum of $1,010,000 payable to Ronnie
76Lopez and Robert Guzman, individually and as Co-Personal
77Representatives of the Estate of Ana-Yency Velasquez, deceased,
78for the benefit of Ronnie Lopez, Jr., Ashley Lorena Lopez-
79Velasquez, and Steven Robert Guzman, minor children of Ana-Yency
80Velasquez, as compensation for the death of Ana-Yency Velasquez
81as a result of the negligence of an employee of Miami-Dade
82County.
83     Section 3.  This award is intended to provide the sole
84compensation for all present and future claims arising out of
85the factual situation described in the preamble to this act
86which resulted in the death of Ana-Yency Velasquez. The total
87amount paid for attorney's fees, lobbying fees, costs, and
88similar expenses relating to this claim may not exceed 25
89percent of the total amount awarded under section 2.
90     Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


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