Beaten Giants Fan Bryan Stow To Receive Fraction Of $18M Judgment In Dodger Stadium Attack
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who was savagely beaten by two Los Angeles Dodgers fans following an Opening Day game in 2011, has yet to receive any of the $18 million awarded to him – and is likely to receive far less, while his health insurer will get millions before Stow is paid.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Stow is falling victim to little-known provisions of federal law that give insurers the right to recoup medical costs caused by a third party, even before the victim gets reimbursed.
In Stow's case, while the Dodgers were ordered to pay $13.9 million, his insurer - Envision Healthcare - was legally able to demand the more than $3.4 million it paid for Bryan's treatment, the report said.
Bloomberg said Envision also assigned its rights to the $3.4 million to the Dodgers' liability insurer for a discounted price of $1.8 million, which allows the Dodgers' insurer to both deduct $3.4 million from its payout and realize $1.6 million in the lien deal.
Stow also owes his lawyers $3.6 million and San Francisco General Hospital has filed its own lien for $1.2 million in care not reimbursed by Stow's insurer, the report said.
Stow's attackers, Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood, are responsible for $4 million of the $18 million judgment, but it's not expected either will be able to pay.
That would leave Stow with $5.8 million, while his lifetime medical care and rehabilitation is expected to total $30 million dollars. His lawyers plan on trying to nullify or reduce the insurance liens, but it is not likely.
Stow was left with permanent brain damage and other injuries in the attack outside Dodger Stadium.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of mayhem and was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Norwood pleaded guilty to assault and received a four-year term.
Both men also pleaded guilty to separate weapons charges filed after guns were found during search warrants in the Stow case. The two were prohibited from possessing guns because of prior felony convictions and face sentencing on the weapons convictions in May.