Man Pays In Quarters After Court Orders He Return Dead Son’s Settlement Money

A man pays in quarters when an insurance company determines that his family over-collected on benefits from the death of his teenage son, delivering the payment in an armored Brinks truck and sparking what has become a nationwide story.

Dr. Roger Herrin lost his son Michael in a car crash in 2001. He was riding in a Jeep Cherokee with two other friends when a truck ran a stop sign at an intersection and hit the vehicle. The other passengers were injured, including one of Michael’s friend who needed several knee surgeries, but Michael was the only one killed.

Herring settled wrongful-death claims with two insurance companies, getting $1.65 million.

The other passengers had no claim on the settlement money, but they did receive part of $800,000 in under-insured-motorist coverage that was divvied up between the victims. A trial determined how it would be split, with most going to the estate of Herrin’s son.

But after many court hearings, an appellate court ruled that the bulk of the money, $500,000 in total, needed to be returned to the other passengers.

Herrin claimed he didn’t need the money, and most had gone to his ex-wife anyway, but was against giving it back based on principle. After all, his son was the only one who lost his life in the crash.

So Herring came up with a brilliant plan to pay off the money but still lodge a protest — the man pays in quarters.

The doctor lives in a 20-acre estate, so paying was not too difficult, but lifting the bags full of quarters was. He called on one of his grounds workers to help haul it off to a flatbed truck that would deliver it.

On Wednesday Herring delivered the money — with $150,000 in quarters and the rest in checks — to the other parties, as the court had ordered. In total there were 150 bags of quarters, each containing $1,000. The load weighed close to four tons

Lawyers representing the other parties were not happy to learn that the man pays in quarters, but ultimately decide to accept the money.