Virginia Offers Tech Shooting Victims’ Families $100K Each to Settle

March 26, 2008

  • March 26, 2008 at 7:45 am
    GT says:
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    They are called attorneys NOT attornies!

  • March 26, 2008 at 11:48 am
    Matt says:
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    I mentioned to a friend that the school offered $100k settlement to each family, and she asked, “why?”

    I thought it was a great question. We were and still are deeply saddened by the tragedy, however we find it difficult to see how getting attorneys involved to point the blame finger at the deepest pockets honors their memory.

    I guess they say opinions are like you-know-what (everyone’s got one), but ours is that a $100,000 settlement sounded very generous. The overwhelming reaction to this tragedy was national support of the families and support of the school. Why sue?

  • March 26, 2008 at 12:19 pm
    cletus says:
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    I work in the insurance industry and usually side with defendants when BI and/or PD are alleged. I live in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I’ve spoken to many of the students who were there on the day of the shootings. In this instance in my opinion, the injured parties and the plaintiff’s attorneys should prevail because (1) several people charged with the admissions process and administrative process at VA Tech knew Mr. Cho had issues that would probably give rise to this kind of action (2) they took no action to prevent it (3) campus security and local police were very slow to take action to prevent many of the deaths and woundings after the initial shootings occurred. Were I a personal injury attorney I would seek and get much more than $100,000 as a settlement for each dead person’s family. What happened at VA Tech indicates negligence, perhaps gross negligence. Isn’t it a good thing to adequately protect the students you admit and intend to prepare for life after college until they can graduate and leave?

  • March 26, 2008 at 1:39 am
    Noel Silverman says:
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    I thought that the Commonwealth of VA had a limiy of governmental immunity for tort claims – I had heard 100K

  • March 26, 2008 at 1:41 am
    Dustin says:
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    The main reason they are offering the money is to get a release saying we won’t sue. I also live in VA and was surprised that this happened a year ago! How time flies. I believe there is a cap on suing a municipality (the state) of around 100k. Of course, they could get more if they sued the school. This was no doubt a tragedy, but I feel that suing for damages is not a good way to remember someone. That being said, I think the state and VA Tech are doing the right thing and showing some good will to those killed. It was a tragedy and there may have been some negligence involved, but I hate the mentality that someone has to pay. Also, please don’t blast me as someone who has no sympathy for the parents. I do, but money doesn’t make it any easier to cope.

  • March 26, 2008 at 2:03 am
    Hillary Barack says:
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    If I were the family, I would be insulted by $100,000 due to the University’s gross neglience. Promising lives were cut short because the University did not do their due diligence. Each student would have earned at least $100,000 over three years upon graduation from school.

    A lifetime payment? No. But $100,000 is too cheap.

  • March 26, 2008 at 2:12 am
    Dustin says:
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    Placing a value on one’s life is nearly impossible.

    Also, where do you get gross negligence? I see negligence.

  • March 26, 2008 at 2:20 am
    Saints Fan says:
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    I agree with you, Dustin. I know these people left families behind but I’ll be even colder in my statement…

    If you left kids or a spouse, they should get restitution only. I’m not discriminating against single people but hey these are just my two cents. Also really this money could be better spent to upgrade security and better screen students and more money poured into the mental health / research field.

    Look at the case of Heath Ledger’s estate. He left nothing to his kid and now the dad is not seen as fit to run the estate. Yes, he’s the father but this actor left a child behind who needs to be left everything. He was a grown man and you’re finished with the child-rearing. What do you stand to gain? Do you need the money back for all of the years you took care of that child? NO! That’s your job as a parent. What will $100K or $100MM do Look at cases where people are left permanently disabled. They need lifetime care – I can understand that. Believe me, not only will the attornies take their cut but also the parents, siblings, cousins, with their hands out. Money does that. Charity is better than going on a shopping spree.

  • March 26, 2008 at 2:38 am
    Nobody Important says:
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    Whenever anyone says it’s not about the money, it’s about the money. Old saying.

  • March 26, 2008 at 3:09 am
    Safety Man says:
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    Getting to speak with, and ask questions of, an ELECTED GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL comes with the deal? Are you kidding me? That should happen anyway and for free and any time I would want it!

    Why not throw in a set of steak knives and maybe they will have to consider it….



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