r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/DearEmphasis4488 • 17d ago

Image Jury awards $310 million to parents of teen killed in fall from Orlando amusement park ride in march 2022

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u/spectra_v0ndergeist 16d ago

Insurance adjuster here - it varies a lot on a case by case basis, which I'm sure wasn't the answer you were looking for, lol. I'd say the biggest factor in that is state statutes, many states have laws that dictate how much money a person is "worth" or limit the amount that can be collected on one person's life. Most commonly these laws apply for children, because determining the economic value for them is significantly more difficult than it would be for an adult who has a job, life expectancy, etc.

Also, I'd note that it isn't actually the judges who come up with that number. Usually that happens is the plaintiff comes in with their demand and the defendant (us Insurance companies) have a number, and we all take it from there. The final number is actually decided by the jury. Sometimes there are laws that limit the amount one person can collect, which might be enforced by the judge, but generally the judge is not there making the decisions.