Erin Andrews settlement rant

money isn't everything in life, get over it

 

um, wut? Going from ESPN to Fox Sports was at the very worst a lateral move, depending on your point of view. Nevertheless, she has a lot going on at Fox, plus she also works for ABC on the wildly popular and extremely high profile Dancing With The Stars.

I think whatever affect that spy video had on her future at the time will always be purely speculative. She was a rising star when the video was made (which is pretty much the reason why the video was made: If she had been a nobody, Michael David Barrett would never have stalked her) and had a bright future ahead of her. If some ESPN producer or Disney executive used the publicity surrounding the video to promote her to a higher profile position at ESPN they would never, ever admit to doing so.

 

Leaving one's personal opinion about Fox at the door, we can safely assume that she took two steps up in her career since this video hit the net. Fox vs ESPN is night vs day. ESPN, she only worked college football which is a niche crowd. Pro football is more than a niche because you can walk into any sports bar on a Sunday and even semi-casual football fans are watching the NFL. Of course, there is the show you mentioned and the endorsements she has. Was this all because of the video? No. Did the notoriety she got from the video give her career a shot in the arm? Maybe, maybe not. I happen to believe that it did, but I am very cynical when it comes to what the public is led to believe in these cases. I am cynical when it comes to television and celebrity. I could be wrong. But, I could be right. Ultimately, however, it does not matter what I or anybody else thinks. And if she indeed use this to boost herself and then fuck the system, then good for her.

 

Sorry MERPER. I was answering the question as to whether her career move ruined her professional life. In the context of a civil suit where she needs to show damage, $$ is the biggest measure.

 

I think that she is actually doing all of this to distract us from finding out that the moon landing was a hoax. Also, it's possible that she's actually Bill Clinton's illegitimate child, which ties in somehow, again, if I'm right. I mean, I could be wrong, but it sure would be a massive conspiracy if I'm right, and I've been right about other things before.

 

gotcha, i am just really sensitive to this topic as it hits very close to me personally...

i can't stand anyone who is either victim blaming her or denying the wrongdoing that took place

 

A civil discussion here? :shock: You can't do that MERPER!! This is the internets!! You could at least call me a name. This just ain't right....

 

I mean BOTH the hotel and the stalker guy are at fault. If he did not get that info from the hotel he would have gotten it another way. He was determined!

But 55 MILLION. Please!! How do you come up with that number? I am sure the hotel will appeal that number and get it down to 7 figures or low 8 figures.

I forget the actual number. But the vast majority of civil cases judgements settlements that go to trail are reduced on the appeal process.

According to what I read. The guy who actually did this. Got no money, lives at home with his parents now, declared bankruptcy, and put all his assets in his parents name, spent 2 years in prison and drives a delivery truck. She not going to get one dollar off of him ever.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2016/03/erin_andrews_stalker_living_in_portland.html

In my state insurance settlements are tax free at the local and state level. And I believe that you don't have to pay federal taxes on most insurance settlements also.

I mean she running around that bedroom buck naked for a LONG time. She got a killer body and I am sure she loves showing it off. But come on. Your in a hotel, wear some clothes. How many woman you know do there hair and make up buck naked at home, or naked in a hotel room?

 

Hope these comments are useful:

Historically, the actual amounts paid out in torts like this are much less than initial jury awards for compensatory and punitive damages. Remember the McDonald's coffee scalding case that businesses and insurers love to highlight as an example of liability run amok? The jury awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages, which was reduced to $160,000 because the jury found the plaintiff partly at fault. The jury awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages (hence the demands for liability caps), but that was reduced by the court to $480,000. Like so many other cases, the final actual amount paid out was negotiated in a permanently confidential settlement, so no one but the plaintiff, defendant and their attorneys will ever know.

I tend to agree that this was a really serious invasion of Ms. Andrews' privacy. Comments questioning why she spent so much time naked in the privacy of her hotel room are ridiculous and irrelevant. Even if she was naked in her room for 24 hours straight, she shouldn't have to worry about some jackass -- tipped off by a hotel employee -- poking a spy camera through a door into her room.

It's worth noting that hotels, like any other entity or organization, carry insurance against adverse events -- including events where they are sued because of the alleged wrongful action of an employee that "injured" someone else. So it's anyone's guess what Ms. Andrews -- after appeals and negotiations -- will end up receiving, as well as how much of the final amount will be covered by the hotel's insurance. Of course, it's perfectly fair to argue that even if most of it is covered by insurance, the hotel's insurance rates will go up, but they can recoup the costs through other means without affecting their bottom line.

 

Some more facts -

1) Settlements and awards such as this are subject to both state and federal taxes. Also, in many states, you get screwed in that the tax is calculated based on the full award, ignoring the fact that you have to pay 40% of it to the attorneys. The federal side isn't necessarily better, as the legal fees are often disallowed as a deduction if the taxpayer is subject to the alternative minimum tax.

2) Insurance claims are taxable as well, except to the extent that you receive proceeds to cover the replacement of something, like a car/roof etc.

3) The video is apparently about 5 minutes long. My wife probably spends at least that long doing things naked while getting ready just about every day. This is especially true when dressing up nice (like, say, somebody might if they would be going on TV) because she doesn't want to get makeup, hair product, and whatever else on her outfit.

4) Me personally, I'd be more likely to spend even longer naked in a hotel room than somewhere else.

 

lol this shit is still going on?

 

Sorry, my procrastination towards an unrelated major task is causing me to place waaay more importance onto this subject than it would normally warrant. It will soon pass, I promise.

 

the mopw will be broke for the rest of his life and won't pay anthing but future income; the gist of the suit was on the hotel who did in fact violate her, after lawyer fees she'll walk with maybe 10 million paid throughout her lifetime and this case will be taught in law at hotel schools forever

 

The worst thing about this verdict is that it sets a precedent for even more ridiculous judgments, like the $115M Hulk Hogan case.

 

Which will also be reduced once it's all said and done.

 

Why is that the "worst thing" and why do you care?

Why do you feel it's ok to invade people's privacy and profit off of some combination of that invasion and stalking?

Maybe someone should figure out where you live and call the local authorities. Your comments suggest you have a stalker's mentality. Which is dangerous.

 

Oh, the Hogan jury won't even decide the punitive damages until Monday. Even if these damages are reduced (they won't be), Gawker is fucked unless they can pay the judgment in stupid comments by halfwits. It couldn't happen to a worse bunch of people.

 

Im guessing the people that have a huge problem with Erin Andrews winning her case for 55 million wont have much of a problem with Hogan winning his for more than twice the amount. No thread rants on that one, eh?

 

It's really ridiculous. Less than 10 seconds of a video Hogan made willingly and intended to sell for public display hardly deserves this kind of award, regardless of what you think about Gawker.