Florida Senate - 2027 (NP) SB 18
By Senator Rodriguez
40-00038-27 202718__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act for the relief of the Estate of James Corpora
3 by Miami-Dade County; providing an appropriation to
4 compensate the estate for James Corpora’s death as a
5 result of the negligence of a Miami-Dade County bus
6 driver; providing for a limitation on compensation and
7 the payment of attorney fees; providing an effective
8 date.
9
10 WHEREAS, on November 8, 2024, Angel Maria Brown, a bus
11 driver employed by Miami-Dade County and acting within the scope
12 of her employment, was operating a Miami-Dade County bus
13 southbound on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, and
14 WHEREAS, at that time, James Corpora was lawfully parked in
15 a designated parking space on the west side of Washington
16 Avenue, near or at the intersection of Washington Avenue and
17 13th Street, in Miami Beach, and
18 WHEREAS, Ms. Brown brought the bus to a stop behind Mr.
19 Corpora’s lawfully parked vehicle under the mistaken belief that
20 he was preparing to exit the parking space and drive away, and
21 WHEREAS, Mr. Corpora exited his vehicle and stood adjacent
22 to the driver’s side door of his vehicle, and
23 WHEREAS, Ms. Brown attempted to maneuver the bus around
24 both Mr. Corpora and his parked vehicle to enter the bus stop
25 area located directly in front of Mr. Corpora’s vehicle, and in
26 doing so, Ms. Brown negligently caused the rear portion of the
27 bus to strike and pin Mr. Corpora between the bus and his own
28 vehicle, and
29 WHEREAS, passengers on the bus alerted Ms. Brown that Mr.
30 Corpora had been struck and was pinned between his car and the
31 bus, and in response Ms. Brown turned the steering wheel to the
32 left, causing the rear of the bus to move further to the right
33 and crush Mr. Corpora between the bus and his vehicle before he
34 was ultimately released and fell to the ground, and
35 WHEREAS, emergency responders were summoned, but Mr.
36 Corpora succumbed to his injuries and died shortly thereafter,
37 and
38 WHEREAS, as a result of the incident on November 8, 2024,
39 Ana Maria Corpora, the personal representative of the Estate of
40 James Corpora, filed an action in the Circuit Court of the
41 Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, under
42 case number 25-12498-CA-01, alleging that the negligence of an
43 employee of Miami-Dade County was the proximate cause of the
44 death of James Corpora and the survivors of James Corpora
45 suffered significant damages, including, but not limited to,
46 loss of support and services, loss of companionship and
47 protection, mental pain and suffering, and other damages
48 cognizable under Florida law, and
49 WHEREAS, Ana Maria Corpora, the personal representative of
50 the Estate of James Corpora, and Miami-Dade County reached a
51 settlement whereby Miami-Dade County agreed to pay the sum of
52 $200,000 to Ana Maria Corpora, as personal representative of the
53 estate, in full satisfaction of Miami-Dade County’s liability up
54 to the limits set forth in s. 768.28, Florida Statutes,
55 applicable to a claim against a governmental entity arising out
56 of a single incident or occurrence, and
57 WHEREAS, as part of the same settlement, Miami-Dade County
58 also agreed to support the filing and passage of a claim bill in
59 the Legislature for the additional amount of $1.05 million as
60 compensation to the Estate of James Corpora and his survivors,
61 and the plaintiff agreed that she would not seek a claim bill in
62 an amount exceeding $1.05 million, and
63 WHEREAS, the remaining $1.05 million is needed to fully
64 satisfy the settlement, and the claim shall be considered fully
65 satisfied upon payment of the remaining $1.05 million by Miami
66 Dade County to the Estate of James Corpora as authorized by the
67 Legislature through the passage of this claim bill, NOW,
68 THEREFORE,
69
70 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
71
72 Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act are
73 found and declared to be true.
74 Section 2. Miami-Dade County is authorized and directed to
75 appropriate from funds of the county not otherwise encumbered
76 and to draw a warrant in the sum of $1.05 million payable to Ana
77 Maria Corpora, personal representative of the Estate of James
78 Corpora, as compensation for damages resulting from the death of
79 James Corpora.
80 Section 3. The amount paid by Miami-Dade County pursuant to
81 s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded under this
82 act are intended to provide the sole compensation for all
83 present and future claims arising out of the factual situation
84 described in this act which resulted in the death of James
85 Corpora. The total amount paid for attorney fees relating to
86 this claim may not exceed 25 percent of the total amount awarded
87 under this act.
88 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.