Father Of Son Killed In Auto Accident Pays $175,000 In Quarters To Law Firm

The story has been going for 12 years with legal battles and now the father of the only boy killed in an auto accident, who not at fault, has been ordered to pay $500,000 to the other parties involved. 

In 2001, retired surgeon Dr. Roger Herrin lost his teenage son when the vehicle he was in was broadsided by a vehicle who ran a stop sign.  His son Michael, was ejected along with another boy but Michael was the only one killed.  The other boy who was ejected suffered some serious knee injuries and the Mother of one of the boys and another teen in the Jeep had minor injuries.

Dr. Herrin had his own family insurance policies and was paid $1.65 from two insurance companies involved; the other passengers had no claim on that money.  According to news sources,

there was also a pool of $800,000 in aggregated under-insured-motorist coverage from the crash vehicle for claims by all the passengers, but a trial court came up with a formula that gave the son’s estate most of that money.

Many years and lawsuits later, way after the fact, an appellate court recently ruled that the laregest share of the common pool of $800,000 should go to the other passengers, even though Michael was the only one killed.

Herrin agreed to pay $500,000 but he decided that two of the law firms would be paid back $150,000 in quarters. So he took 75 bags, each containing a $1000 in quarters, to both law firms and left them in the lobby. Dr. Herrin said he didn’t think it was fair to have to return the cash when the only life lost was that of his son...not to mention the courts had long since settled the case.