Settlements reached in Boy Scouts' deaths in wreck

I do not have to justify my thoughts or what I feel about GEICO - the point is these families deserve their settlements - if not more. Lives were lost and it is unfortunate.

My point is that you are unnecessarily rude and angry sounding which is contrary to GEICO's culture. Furthermore, I also was a sales agent and I can't quite understand why you imply you didn't feel like an agent or that you didn't learn anything. Good grief, we had a solid week of in class learning, a State exam requiring at least 70% as well as continual training with underwriters. Sorry, Carrien, but you sound like you have a grudge against GEICO. This blog is not the appropriate avenue to air your gripes.

The admonition from the lone survivor...Mr. Oliver's son! Yes, unlike what this article fails to clarify, there was a survivor! From an earlier article in the Pilot and after the Scout recovered adequately, the police were able to question the lad. It was ascertained that the driver, his father, was distracted before the horrific accident no doubt with a question from one of the boys perhaps curious about the white fluffy stuff on the side of the road or the bovine in the field. Mr. Oliver through no direct fault of his own probably felt compelled to give an accurate assessment of nature as Scouts are want to do! Perhaps Mr. Applegate should fall back to Writing 101 when reporting the facts...who, what, where, when and leave the why to a higher entity!

What exactly is your point? My post is to those morons who post and insinuate that these grieving families do not deserve this money and should 'donate' it.
And yes, I shouldn't have even called myself an agent those first 5 years, because all we were trained to do was sell a policy in less than 10 minutes and get the person off the phone. Now, I am proud to say I actually know what I am doing and can honestly talk more about a coverage than just the GEICO definition that they give you to rattle off on the phone. In those 5 years, I read a lot of claims, since they were available to all. And GEICO is more than fair on any fatality I have read about. Anyone who thinks the families do not deserve the funds have clearly never lost a loved on like a son or daughter. It is a life altering experience and I hope to never experience it first hand.
And morons invoke anger in me hence my response. We are all obviously entitled.

to dr87448: No where in this article does it say anyone was sued by anybody. It says an insurance claim was paid out. It doesn't even say anyone pursued a claim. How do you think the families like reading that some in the community now think they are "vultures".
to msanders: Quote "There was no negligience mentioned. Grieving families? Hmmm...I bet they are thinking about how to spend their unexpected bonus! Sick." Insurance coverage does not require "negligence" to pay out. In a single car accident it seems hard to lay fault at the feet of anyone but the insured driver who apparently had insurance coverage.
to aalto: The Scouts did not offer and did not pay. Their insurance company did.
to jreid8231: "This money" was not available to the Scouts for other uses nor did it ever belong to them nor did they pay it. It was a covered insurance pay out.
The Pilot needs to re-write the article with all the facts as obviously it is being misinterpreted and they need to apologize to the families.

You cant judge these families, and I am sure they know that money will not bring their children back. It was already said that the money could go to therpy or parents just not able to work-for sometime. I can understand that, and I would never judge them. If it were me, I dont know what I would do, how do you go on?? One more thing, I thought that their was one surviver the drivers son? I could be wrong, but I do believe it was the son that stated what caused the accident.

Just a shame.....who gets sued next?

I had the chance to read over many claims while working for that insurance company. And yes, they do offer without suit. Lowell Stanley is not needed to get a payout. Anyone remember the 4 visiting nurses at the Oceanfront? Fell in a vehicle to their deaths thanks to that rickity parking garage? That is one of them. The families didn't ask for it. But they were paid. You cannot put a price on LIFE. I sometimes wonder if these posters just spew crap to tick other people off. Surely this much ignorance doesn't live in Hampton Roads.

That was the approximate amount accepted as payment for the loss of their child. Sad commentary to the parents. I have and always will maintain that if my child died as the result of someone's negligience, I would sue the life out of them and donate the money to charity, for no amount of money would be acceptable for the death of my child. I find it rather disgusting how opportunists make a quick buck. The article eludes to a "distracted driver", which could mean just about anything. There was no negligience mentioned. Grieving families? Hmmm...I bet they are thinking about how to spend their unexpected bonus! Sick.

Many of the posters here apparently have never been Scouts, never been involved with Scouting, or don't now know or understand what Scouting is about. Read the last sentence. They (Scouting) offered, we accepted -- Out of the goodness of their hearts. That's what scouting is all about! Character development.

I promise to do my best, To do my duty to God and my country, To help other people, and To obey the Law of the Pack. If you don't understand it, don't criticize it.

I feel sorry for all parties invoved. As for the posters: Don't be so judgmental!

No further comments needed...

Insurance is there for a reason. Why attack these families if a policy was in place and this was a covered event. Of course it won't bring the children back but if you have a life insurance policy on your spouse for example, and spouse dies; will you be refusing the payout?? Why does it have to be something malicous like "avoiding bad publicity"?? Perhaps the insurance companies simply looked at the circumstances and said "this is an event we cover."? The Boy Scouts would have no influence over whether or not the insurance companies paid, believe me. Do you think you could convince your insurance company to pay out a big payment simply to save yourself bad publicity? Hardly. This article is misleading and should not be news. If a policy was in place for liability to passengers, and the guy ran into a tree and killed passengers; the insurance should, and apparently did, pay out.

Looks like each person commenting here has the same feelings. I guess money DOES solve all problems?! I'm certain the Boy Scouts need a bunch of things that money could have bought for the kids still attending meetings and camps. I'd LOVE to hear this Paul Harvey "rest of the story". Thanks for reporting only half the story. What better way to get people upset!

This soceity needs more judgemental people collectively. I have no deserve to look for excuses in poor behaviour. While I do not know the full details here, Im not the reporter, I know that all of society pays when 1) insurance companies payout ans 2) no one volunteers.

I have no desire to add to thier grief. I will not comment further.

You don't have to file a suit to file a claim and I suspect the insurance company/Boys Scouts paid out to avoid bad publicity. I'm not saying I would take the money but it is hard to say how you would handle this situation unless you were in their shoes. The money they received may go towards a scholarship in their childs name, therapy bills for remaining family members or a charity. I'm sure they realize that no amount of money will bring back or replace their child. Don't be so judgmental!

Sad for everyone. I cant believe they took money. What has this world come to? I showed this to my wife who is a girl scout leader and suggested to her that we cant take these sorts of financial risks.

Sad.

This article is vague and leaves many unanswered questions. Was a suit actually filed? Article stated a wrongfull death claim was settled but indicates at least one parent did not feel the Boy Scouts were at fault. Does this mean that an insurance claim was simply paid out as one would expect? Insurance companies pay out death, medical and damage claims nearly every day and it does not rate as news. These families may be getting a bad rap by persons who interpret this article as saying they sued the Boy Scouts. Driver was "distracted"? Where does this info come from with no survivors? How does the writer know this? Distracted by what?

I'm sorry for the families' losses, but why is the one family receiving 125k more from Liberty than the other two?

The scouts did not settle...the insurance companies did. That's why we have insurance. As a scout leader myself, this is every leaders' nightmare, when entrusted with the safety of other people's children. Most leaders I know would give their own lives rather than see harm come to our Scouts. There is no such thing as zero risk in life, and this was a one-in-a-million unfortunate accident, caused by an unspecified distraction. We all need to learn from this and move on. The good that Scouting does in a boy's life far outweighs the remote risks.

Here is another example why we need radical change to the legal system and something very unlikely with either Democratic candidates since they're both trial lawyers. Just say NO to trial lawyers!

The best thing the families can do if donate the money to the Boy Scouts!

Because that's what scouts do.

Mr Drewry would have been better off not commenting like the other two families. But I guess with that much money, more than the others to boot, what the heck? I really feel for the families, unfortunately that feeling fades when I see the dollar signs as the bottom line.

If they had no liability, and weren't being sued, why did they offer a settlement 'out of the goodness of their hearts'? I don't see any goodness in the hearts of any insurance company to part with one more penny than they have to without threat of suit or court order.

I hope I never have to experience the loss of a child as these families have; my heart goes out to them. However what entitles the families to financial renumeration? Was there evidence that the driver of the car was in error? Was he distracted, impaired, or was there any other condition that diverted his attention? Accidents happen, why do we as a society think the loss can be softened by money? You're just buying a 50" flat panel TV paid for by the unfortunate death of your child.