|
I don't think you have the first inkling as to how much a serious injury costs to treat. See my earlier example of my $140k hospital bill. That was for a 12-day stay and one operation, and except for some broken bones in my hand, all of the damage was limited to one leg. Internal injuries requiring a longer stay and/or multiple surgeries could easily make my bill look like chump change.
While it's true that the shooter might have insurance, look up what the liability limits are for many such policies. Not everyone is walking around with a multi-million dollar umbrella policy. And insurance companies are not exactly known for being "Johnny on the spot" when it comes to paying out claims, even for legitimate, documented medical expenses. In many cases, a lawsuit is going to be the only way to pry a payment from them. And while I do have insurance, they're going to go after the shooter and his insurance company first, and I'm going to have to be a party to that lawsuit, testify, etcetera.
As for the state victim's defense funds, look into how much they actually cover, *if* your claim is approved. To use Texas as an example, the cap is $50k, and they'll only pay out after every other resource has been exhausted (shooter's insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, Worker's Comp if applicable, etcetera.) You might qualify for an additional $75k to cover long-term expenses, but only in the case of permanent, total disability.
In short, you can say "the bills are going to get paid" all day long, but the reality is that it's not likely to happen without a lawsuit to help it along.
|