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A moral question

What would you do with the 2 million

  • Buy everything I ever wanted

    Votes: 7 26.9%
  • Donate it to worthy causes

    Votes: 8 30.8%
  • A little of both

    Votes: 11 42.3%

  • Total voters
    26

sawyerloggingon

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I just saw a story on the local news where a couple was awarded 2 million in a lawsuit from their 2 year old kid being backed over by a dump truck. My wife and I were talking about it and decided we could never spend that money on cars, houses, vacations etc without feeling guilty. We would opt to dole the money out to worthy causes in the name of our poor dead kid. What would you do?
 
Honestly, when I think of it, my mind can't get past the part of one of my kids dying.
 
I just saw a story on the local news where a couple was awarded 2 million in a lawsuit from their 2 year old kid being backed over by a dump truck. My wife and I were talking about it and decided we could never spend that money on cars, houses, vacations etc without feeling guilty. We would opt to dole the money out to worthy causes in the name of our poor dead kid. What would you do?
How horrible. Money could never remedy that situation. I guess, if I had more children, I'd use the money to ensure they were safe and well taken care of in the future.
 
I just saw a story on the local news where a couple was awarded 2 million in a lawsuit from their 2 year old kid being backed over by a dump truck. My wife and I were talking about it and decided we could never spend that money on cars, houses, vacations etc without feeling guilty. We would opt to dole the money out to worthy causes in the name of our poor dead kid. What would you do?

Making a sizable donation to various charities in their daughter's memory would be a wonderful thing. Spending some of it to see what could be done for dump truck safety (through mandatory back-up cameras, etc.) would be a wonderful thing. Improving the life of their other children would be a wonderful thing. In the end, there is nothing that's going to fill the void in their lives (or the ache in their hearts) from the loss of their daughter . . . including any guilt they most likely have for her not being close-enough supervised. That's a very personal decision, and I can see many different angles where they would spend the money on themselves and their family...including future children.

Just FYI, Google "dump truck $2 million lawsuit." This is not uncommon. At all.
 
I would let it cover the expenses of the counseling, etc. and legal. After that... yeah. I would view it as "his" money, not mine, and would likely try to find some good purpose to turn it to.
 
I would buy a state of the art robot to replace my kid.
 
Charitable Remainder Trust with one of the family members as settlor at 5%. Distributions would go into an education fund for the other kids (if any) as needed. Anything beyond that would be used for general family needs.

For those that say "give it away to charity" make sure you talk to someone first because you'll be liable to shoot yourself in the foot by doing that.
 
I would probably hire professionals to post a memorial online and some physical memorial. I would give some towards what was of interest to my daughter and - of course - something that might prevent such a tragedy again. The rest I would put into a trust for my other children for them as adults unless needed for some life threatening need of any of them.
 
I would establish a fund for families who had lost children, a fund that would cover grief-counseling, final expenses, and long-term therapy to assist bereaved parents and siblings struggling with such an unimaginable loss. :(
 
I'd do a bit of both, TBH.
 
Genuine query.

How does one put a monetary value on the death of a child in the legal system?
 
I just saw a story on the local news where a couple was awarded 2 million in a lawsuit from their 2 year old kid being backed over by a dump truck. My wife and I were talking about it and decided we could never spend that money on cars, houses, vacations etc without feeling guilty. We would opt to dole the money out to worthy causes in the name of our poor dead kid. What would you do?


The lawyers probably got 30-50%, then the government took about 45% of what was left, so they actually probably got to keep $550,000 - 700,000.

Usually works that way.

No money can replace a child. I'd probably pay off our debts and put the rest into trust funds for any other children I had, something like that. No I wouldn't feel right about using the money to "live it up" either.
 
Genuine query.

How does one put a monetary value on the death of a child in the legal system?

It's harder to do with a child than it is with an adult.
With an adult it's probable lifetime earnings + punitive, pain and suffering, if I understand it right.

With a child, $2 million can be right around the area of potential lifetime earnings.
 
Genuine query.

How does one put a monetary value on the death of a child in the legal system?

Truth be told, it's usually determined by the lawyers for both parties coming to an agreement based on what they think a jury will be willing to award versus the cost of litigation, bad publicity, etc.
 
Yes I'm very proud of it, thanks.

It was obviously in very poor taste considering the details of the story in the OP........not that you care obviously.

Comedic interlude......... fail....
:failpail:
 
Yes, very poor taste. I have to hope he's very young and also childless. Losing a child is not joke-material.
 
I'm sorry, did you have a child that got rolled by a dump truck?

It was obviously in very poor taste considering the details of the story in the OP........not that you care obviously.

Comedic interlude......... fail....
:failpail:
 
I would donate the money to charity in his name.

After reading some articles regarding this tragedy, I would guess this wasn't the first time the child broke from someone's grasp and ran off. It's not something all children do, but when they reach 2, you know if they are prone to running off. It's something that could have been avoided with a $10 investment.
 
I'm sorry, did you have a child that got rolled by a dump truck?


Dude, seriously... this is not fit material to joke about. Nobody's calling you scum, okay, but it just isn't in good taste. Losing a child is worse than losing your legs... more like having half your heart cut out.

Just accept that it was a bad idea and let it go.
 
I would donate the money to charity in his name.

After reading some articles regarding this tragedy, I would guess this wasn't the first time the child broke from someone's grasp and ran off. It's not something all children do, but when they reach 2, you know if they are prone to running off. It's something that could have been avoided with a $10 investment.

And I also wouldn't sit in judgment of a bereaved parent and Monday-morning quarterback.
 
I'm sorry, did you have a child that got rolled by a dump truck?

No, but I do have children and can at least sympathize with those who've lost them and can at least relate to those who have kids and who actually cherish them. Reproduction obviously takes little or no skill.........parenting, on the other hand, does. :shrug:
 
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