View Full Version : How does someone cope with this?
madness
26-03-09, 12:28 PM
A young couple have a severely disabled child who needs constant care. This means that the mother can't work and so the husband is the only earner. Money is very tight, they can't afford a car or holidays.
One windy day, on his way home from work, the husband is killed by a falling chimney. After the funeral the young widow decides to claim against the owner of the property, only to find that the property wasn't insured. So, she engages a solicitor, and after going to court is awarded compensation from the owner of the property. The property owner immediately declares himself bankrupt and emigrates to sunny Spain.
How does someone cope in a situation like this?
Thingus
26-03-09, 12:34 PM
Did this actually happen or is it a hypothetical situation O.O
madness
26-03-09, 12:35 PM
Hypothetical. But it obviously could happen.
A young couple have a severely disabled child who needs constant care. This means that the mother can't work and so the husband is the only earner. Money is very tight, they can't afford a car or holidays.
One windy day, on his way home from work, the husband is killed by a falling chimney. After the funeral the young widow decides to claim against the owner of the property, only to find that the property wasn't insured. So, she engages a solicitor, and after going to court is awarded compensation from the owner of the property. The property owner immediately declares himself bankrupt and emigrates to sunny Spain.
How does someone cope in a situation like this?Thats a very grim scenario for sure.
Sadly there is nothing that can be done. The state will look after the woman and the child to some point. There are many organisations out there that would support her and the child from a emotional point of view. But it would be a very very hard situation to deal with.
DanAbnormal
26-03-09, 12:39 PM
That sounds bad. How about this:
My wife works with a girl, this girl is pregnant and has a boyfriend. He finds out that he has cancer, only it's so far gone that there is nothing that can be done but wait for the inevitable. The girlfriend is pregnant and chances are almost 100% that her boyfriend will not survive long enough to see his own child be born.
Now how does someone cope with that kind of grief, I just don't know where I would start.
I thought it was a bit of a farfetched scenario...
I assume the mother would be on benefits because she cannot work when caring for the child.
In your post, do you mean that the widow was awrded compensation and actually got the money?
If she doesnt get the money, then she would have to live on the bare minimum of benefits, and hopefully some additional finincial help for the disabled child.
Luckypants
26-03-09, 12:40 PM
Hypothetically then, take out life insurance on the wage earner before anything happens to them! Seriously, as soon as you have kids, you need to be insured to the eyeballs to make sure that they have the money to be cared for until they are grown should the worse happen. The other thing you need to do is make a will.
Simple term assurance should not be prohibitively expensive, but I do realise in the hypothetical case here it may be hard to find £20 or £30 a month. Depends on what peace of mind is worth to you.
There is no question that I'm worth a fortune dead, but am happy that my dependants will be taken care of.
Hypothetically then, take out life insurance on the wage earner before anything happens to them! Seriously, as soon as you have kids, you need to be insured to the eyeballs to make sure that they have the money to be cared for until they are grown should the worse happen. The other thing you need to do is make a will.
Simple term assurance should not be prohibitively expensive, but I do realise in the hypothetical case here it may be hard to find £20 or £30 a month. Depends on what peace of mind is worth to you.
There is no question that I'm worth a fortune dead, but am happy that my dependants will be taken care of.Phones LuckyPants wife to see if i can be of service ;)
madness
26-03-09, 12:43 PM
In your post, do you mean that the widow was awrded compensation and actually got the money?
The property owner declares himself bankrupt and moves to Spain, and does not pay any compensation.
Luckypants
26-03-09, 12:44 PM
Phones LuckyPants wife to see if i can be of service ;)
She is no longer beneficiary after leaving.......
Dappa D
26-03-09, 01:16 PM
ah that reminds me....new thread on its way rather than derail...
My eldest daughter [now almost 17] sustained a terrible brain injury when she was 20mths old. My husband at the time couldn't cope and left us.
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. I truly believe that. Us human beings are resiliant.
I'm now happily married [to Hovis21] with three daughters, and live my life to the full- one day at a time. My eldest, although will always have problems, is amazing, and I'm so proud of her.
I know it sound like a cliche', but we really all should live each day as if it was our last. Your life can change in a second
timwilky
26-03-09, 02:40 PM
I agree with Mike, anyone with a family should seriously think about what will happen to the family should the main wage earner disappear.
As this is all hypothetical anyway, we should be able to say what we think. I see little in this that is different to the uninsured defective property owner and an uninsured driver.
Lives would have been wrecked. Money cannot bring back loved ones, but it does compensate the financial loss.
The property owner declares himself bankrupt and moves to Spain, and does not pay any compensation.
Hoe can he get away with delcaring backruptcy if he can afford to move country?
Hoe can he get away with delcaring backruptcy if he can afford to move country?
easy.
the vagaries of the bankruptcy laws allow this
happens all the time. mr a n other goes bust, starts up trading next day with a new company
what she should have done was to obtain a charging order on the property to secure the judgement she obtained. That way she would have had security in the bankrutcy. As it is she should file a proof of debt in the bankruptcy, might get something.
Alternatively, she could try to enforce the UK judgement in Spain and attach it to any Spanish assets.
madness
26-03-09, 06:42 PM
Well, I started this thread for a reason. timwilky has pretty much got it. The scenario could have been pretty much anything. The issue is lack of insurance. There's been a few threads on here lately where a few people have shown that they would consider riding without insurance (or voided insurance).
I just wanted to make people think a little and get them to realise that our actions can have very drastic consequences.
DavieSV
26-03-09, 10:09 PM
I have ridden with no insurance as a teenager. I didn't do it intentionally, but I did get stopped. I used to buy my moped insurance , 3 months at a time, I was on £27 per week, had to pay £15 board, so money was tight
One time I bought 2 months of insurance, then forgot. Got stopped 6 days after the insurance had ran out and got a producer.
Didn't think it was a problem untill I got home and found the insurance document, horror
Anyway £220 fine (probably equivelent to about £1000 these days) & six points for being forgetfull.
Bit harsh I thought in 1986 on £27 per week, but it has taught me to check my insurance.
I know accidents can happen, but I would not be able to live with myself if I had an accident, knowing that I wasn't covered.
don't do it!
and that includes riding outside your license (de-restricting before you are due)
vBulletin® , Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.