Natchitoches jury awards family $6 million verdict

[y-o-y]

lil man wrote:

<quoted text>I know alot people living on death money donated by the taxpayers. If it was your family you would had done the same thing.
Death money would you call that also when someones child dies in a boat accident and they collect a million dollars and blames the boat company cause they child fell out of the boat? I would say that is the parents for not taking care of the child. They damn sure collected a million dollars and lived well on death money. A widows husband or wife dies and leaves a good life insurance? Are you also calling that living on death money.
The State is the blame for the roads in the shape they are in. WHO IS THE BLAME, WE THE TAX PAYERS FOR KEEP PUTTING IN ASSHOLES IN OFFICES AND NOT HELPING TO MAKE OUR ROADS SAFER.
With that said, have a good evening.

you can't even talk...shhhhhh

[lil man]

y-o-y wrote:

<quoted text>
you can't even talk...shhhhhh

You better go back and read your small god book.....shhhhhhhhh

[Here this]

I've heard that the spouse gets 1.3 million and the kids get 500000 each. He had 3 children by his first wife and they get nothing. how fair is that?

[BigSean]

Wondering wrote:

Ok - I agree with you on some points. BUT - why $6 million? Is that what the family will lose from income over the rest of their lives from the loss of their husband/father? Where did that figure come from? I cannot understand any juror that would feel a family deserves to ge "filthy" rich off of the state because of a tragic accident. NO amount of money is going to make things better for the victim or anyone else that might fall victim to the same circumstances in the future. In my opinion, unless they are using the money for the good of the memory of the victim and not to live a life of luxury without him, it's a shame.

I'm not an attorney, so I hope one will correct me on some assumptions.

I don't know the particulars of this case and how they arrived at damages (punitive, negligence, etc), but I've worked on cases when I was a PI that involved liability.

Cases are expensive. You have to pay attorneys, investigators, expert witnesses, filing fees, laboratory fees, and so on.*Very few* cases ever go to trial. Most are settled or dismissed.

Yes, attorneys make a lot when they take a case for a percentage. They also risk a lot. While you do have some slime like {redacted - a South Louisiana attorney who runs a lot of TV ads about 'getting your check'}, most lawyers are hardworking folks like anyone else.

Cases can drag on practically forever, get appealed and appealed again, damages get reduced, and so on.

That's why these things get settled, often for pennies on the dollar.

I would be shocked if that full $6 million in damages gets paid out. But lets say they did.

Say that the attorney gets a third (I don't know the caps nowadays and it depends on the type of case - e.g. worker's comp), expenses are recouped, and so on.

I don't believe taxes are going to be an issue - this isn't income, it's damages.

So let's say half:$3 million and it's paid out as a structured settlement rather than a lump sum.

Even as a lump sum if it's put in very conservative investments and the family lives off the interest then after taxes (they'll pay taxes on the capital gains), they'll get $127,500 a year in perpetuity.

$3 million sounds like an awful lot of money. It isn't. Over any average middle-class lifetime, you can retire with that in the bank if you:

* pay off your debt
* live within your means
* save
* invest in your 401k
* invest in an IRA

I don't think $6 million is an unreasonable judgment.

It's hardly filthy rich, which is why you see so many lottery winners dead broke and deep in debt just a few years after they cash in the ticket - and regrettably some family members who live that way after getting a settlement or collecting on a judgment.

[lil man]

It will be a year if not longer before they get their money so I was told today

[lil man]

Here this wrote:

I've heard that the spouse gets 1.3 million and the kids get 500000 each. He had 3 children by his first wife and they get nothing. how fair is that?

Are the children minors? If so they will receive SS from him. Did they have anything do with their Dad? They should had gotten an lawyer to see what their rights were.

[y-o-y]

lil man wrote:

<quoted text>You better go back and read your small god book.....shhhhhhhhh

i've read it, thanks...maybe if you could read and write above a 3rd grade level, you could read it too...then you wouldn't seem like an idiot on here...

[DIXIE]

y-o-y wrote:

<quoted text>
i've read it, thanks...maybe if you could read and write above a 3rd grade level, you could read it too...then you wouldn't seem like an idiot on here...

I think lil man got you rowled up or you been staying at Antoons too much! Now who is the idiot on here... Sad drink and work, hummmmm some life! You have read it and you still seem idiot! Sounds to me you have a temper problem since you like to get people rowled up reading your post. Oh well, you have a good day and enjoy life and let go of that angry.

[SouthernGal]

Here this wrote:

I've heard that the spouse gets 1.3 million and the kids get 500000 each. He had 3 children by his first wife and they get nothing. how fair is that?

That isn't fair...I can't see why ALL his children shouldn't get something...divorced or not, they are STILL his children. If he had just died from an illness, they'd get SS benefits, why is this any different?

[I know]

Here this wrote:

I've heard that the spouse gets 1.3 million and the kids get 500000 each. He had 3 children by his first wife and they get nothing. how fair is that?

Maybe they should have hired an attorney. ALL children could have been compensated. All they had to do was file or join in the lawsuit!!

[I know]

SouthernGal wrote:

<quoted text>
That isn't fair...I can't see why ALL his children shouldn't get something...divorced or not, they are STILL his children. If he had just died from an illness, they'd get SS benefits, why is this any different?

All they had to do was file or join in the lawsuit.

[I know]

There should be a cap wrote:

<quoted text>
There should be a cap on the fees that attorneys receive for such. It is obscene that these attorneys take so much (33-50%) of the money. If the money is needed for the injured person or their family, then it should be given to the family. A cap on attorney fees would help. Why should this law firm get $2-3 million of the money? GREED is not a good answer.

There is a cap. Why don't all of you read the ENTIRE story and get the facts straight. Or go to the Courthouse and get the correct information. And the jury awarded $6 million, however the state was not found to be 100% fault so once you all find out what percent they were found out to be, then take that perentage of the 6 million. Then apply the cap to each person. NOWHERE NEAR $6 Million!!! Plus you have the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to overcome. If it were up to me, I would have given her and the kids who were close enough to their dad to even file suit triple that amount!!

[SouthernGal]

I know wrote:

<quoted text>
All they had to do was file or join in the lawsuit.

When it comes to his children, they shouldn't have to file or get an attorney..THEY ARE HIS CHILDREN!!! Unless of course, the present wife felt they didn't deserve anything...and to me that would just be plain cruel on her part. I think that is where and when greed takes over, when someone doesn't include ALL the children of such a tragedy.

[Ray]

It's seems as if "southerngal" is taking this issue very personal. Why is that "southerngal." It's true if they had gotten a lawyer then maybe they would have received something. Instead of making rude comments about his wife, YOU should think about the HELL his wife went through loosing HER husband and going to court re-live the accident, and the hell his other CHILDREN may have put her though. I hate ignorant females especially those that only think about themselves and how they can sit back and try to gain something from someone elses suffering, "SOUTHERNGAL."

[Granecore Slim]

You can bitch about lawyers all you want, BUT, the jury is the one that made the award not the lawyer.
Twelve of your peers decided how much money they wanted to see this family get.

[Curious]

Give me a break! Just becuase there was no "no passing" sign does not mean that that idiot would not have done it anyway. I am so tired of people sueing for money just because they are grieving. What about all the drunk drivers that hit people. I doubt every one of them have been sued.

[keep it real]

What the hell wrote:

I was there that day but I was not selected as a juror. The greedy lawyers were smart to bump me or we would STILL be in there lowering this ridiculous amount.

i guess it is ridiculous caz its a black family. If it was your loved one that had gotten killed through no fault of his own you would see it differently.... Life has no price but when someone causes it they suppose to pay