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In an accident at Disney World in 1983, a college student was paralyzed from the neck down. The young man (at the time) was set up to receive up to $42 million over the next 51 years in accordance with an out-of-court settlement reached with the family entertainment institution.
The 21-year-old senior music major from Mississippi Valley State College was reported as saying, “It came out more than I expected.”
The trombone player and other students from around the country were rehearsing for the opening ceremonies performance when a platform fell on him. The impact broke his neck and spinal cord, leaving him a quadriplegic.
The settlement was announced by the victim’s attorney and was confirmed by a Disney spokesman. He declined to comment further. A spokesman for Disney’s insurer, Granite State Insurance Company of New York, did not comment, either.
According to the settlement documents, a NYC Spinal Injury Lawyer said, the boy was set to receive 5 annual payments from the park’s insurers. Certain details were not available, but the trombonist said he had already been paid $1 million to pay for medical expenses, a specially equipped van, and a new house to be built right next to his parents’ in Mississippi.
The “awfully impressive” settlement did not include a provision that restricted both sides from speaking of the ordeal. “That is standard for settlements like these, especially when dealing with family-friendly attractions that don’t want negative press,” a New York Spinal Injury Attorney said.
The payments break down into at least 2 different types of payments annually. The first is $90,000 which is to increase by 7% each year for the rest of his life. This could add up to be a substantial amount of money. The second type is a flat fee, one such payment is set at 123,000 a year for 20 years. Those payments are not set to increase or be elongated.
The boy was at Disney World because he was chosen to be a member of the All American Marching Band – a 450-piece band of college students. The students were selected from around the country from placed like The Bronx and Brooklyn to play for the Epcot Center’s opening.
The expert legal attention of a New York Spinal Injury Attorney can help you fight for the compensation you deserve when you are injured at the hands of another. Such competent representation is what you need. Contact a New York Spinal Injury Attorney today.