Settlement in bike/car collision

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Bruce A. Johnson

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Aug 16, 2021, 10:47:15 PM8/16/21
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I have a Google news alert set up to tell me about bicycle accidents in Virginia, and this article cropped up tonight:

Cyclist struck by SUV while crossing Norfolk intersection — $490,385.61 settlement (access required)

By: Virginia Lawyers Weekly August 16, 2021

Type of action: Automobile and bicycle accident Court: Norfolk Circuit Court Tried before: Mediation Name of judge or mediator: William Moore Special damages: Past medical bills of approximately $123,880.87 and approximately $33,645.30 in claimed future medical expenses Verdict or settlement: Settlement Amount: $490,385.61 Attorneys for plaintiff (and city): John M. Cooper, Steven A. Mirman and Bailey L. Gifford, Norfolk Insurance carrier: State Farm Description of ..

https://valawyersweekly.com/2021/08/16/cyclist-struck-by-suv-while-crossing-norfolk-intersection/

I kind of wish there were some way to publicize the amount of money that a car hitting a cyclist can cost. If we can't get motorists to think twice about passing recklessly, etc., maybe the fact that it can cost them a house would do the trick. (Although the insurance company footed the bill in this one.... And maybe I need to up my liability coverage.)

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Bruce A. Johnson
Herndon, Virginia

Steve Palincsar

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Aug 17, 2021, 9:25:36 AM8/17/21
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I love those "approximations" down to the penny.  I wonder what the precise dollar figures would look like, if these are merely approximations.

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Steve Palincsar
Alexandria, Virginia 
USA

Doug Scott

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Aug 17, 2021, 10:09:05 AM8/17/21
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Strong argument for that umbrella liability policy over normal car insurance levels......

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Dan Lehman

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Aug 17, 2021, 5:08:22 PM8/17/21
to Steve Palincsar, peda...@googlegroups.com
> I love those "approximations" down to the penny.
> I wonder what the precise dollar figures would look like, if ...

... one used other than base-10, say?
(So, what is the magic of base-10 "round" numbers?)

(-;

Steve Palincsar

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Aug 17, 2021, 6:49:31 PM8/17/21
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Well, you could round to the nearest dollar, at least. k  I mean, when you get down to the cents, it's hardly "approximate."

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Al Robertson

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Aug 17, 2021, 7:52:16 PM8/17/21
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Well, it's approximate when compared to gasoline, which is sold to the tenth of a cent.

Steve Palincsar

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Aug 17, 2021, 8:02:18 PM8/17/21
to Al Robertson, peda...@googlegroups.com

Point taken -- but paid for rounded up to the nearest cent

Dan Lehman

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Aug 18, 2021, 5:41:21 PM8/18/21
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>  gasoline, which is sold to the tenth of a cent.

Ha, yeah; and always to the NINE tenths of that cent!

(-;

Rudi Riet

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Aug 18, 2021, 6:13:10 PM8/18/21
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There was once an outlier indie gas station in Salt Lake City that took pride in doing 8/10ths pricing ("we're the cheapest!").

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mikeandj...@erols.com

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Aug 21, 2021, 5:02:54 PM8/21/21
to Doug Scott, Steve Palincsar, peda...@googlegroups.com

Interesting that you mention an umbrella liability policy.  I have never looked at the fine print to see where my auto ends and the umbrella begins, if at all, for car accidents.  In the case in point, it was good for the victim but could also be good for the driver who bears no financial hit other than what might happen to the driver’s rates.  Wonder about how the driver did in traffic/ criminal court.  Probably nothing severe.

Skip White

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Aug 22, 2021, 10:58:42 AM8/22/21
to Mike and Joan Divine, Doug Scott, Steve Palincsar, Pedalers (googped)
Typically, the umbrella policy's coverage kicks in when the primary policy's coverage is exhausted.  For example:

Let's say you have the following insurance (personal, not business):

Auto: $300,000 per person/$500,000 per accident
Homeowners: $300,000 per person/$500,000 per accident
Umbrella: $1 million per person and aggregate

You get sued for an auto accident in which the plaintiff alleges that s/he was hospitalized for a month and out of work for a year and therefore has $600,000 in economic damages (ie, damages that can be quantified as opposed to non-economic damages like pain and suffering). Your auto policy would pay the first $300,000, and your umbrella would cover the next $1 million.

And for all of you who have the minimum limits ($30k in MD), you are gambling with your own lives.  Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists coverage protects you if you get hurt in an accident with a driver who has no insurance or who has only limited insurance.  But you cannot have more in UM/UIM coverage than you have in liability.  

I am a lawyer, but I am not *your* lawyer.  Please consider this as good information, but not legal advice.  

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