N001472
Wednesday, January 09, 2002 3:00 PM
Interim Rule Comments
Dear Mr.Zwick:
I am writing to express my disappointment with the rules outlined for the
Federal Victims Compensation Fund. I was told that the purpose of this fund
was to provide victims with an alternative to the long and costly litigation
process.
After reviewing the rules outlined by Mr. Feinberg, I determined that they
clearly do not provide ANY financial assistance to my family.
I do not have any problem with the calculation chart, but I do have a problem
with the deduction of "collateral" resources.
By deducting collateral resources from the calculated award, my family ends up
with a negative balance which means we will not receive anything from the fund.
The rules are also very confusing and misleading.
What does this statement mean: "For victims who were married or had children,
that minimum will be $500,000 -
meaning that that they will receive a combined total of at least $500,000 from
our program, other state and federal programs,
life insurance and other compensation (excluding gifts from charities)."
I don't understand if the above statement means that my family will receive at
least $500,000 (regardless of any collateral resources)
or if we will receive nothing because the collateral resources are greater than
the calculated award.
I truly believe that if the fund rules are not adjusted to give an adequate
payout to each family, then you will not have many people filing claims
against your fund. This will lead to many people taking their chance in court
with a lawsuit. Isn't this what you were trying to avoid in the first place?
If so, you should attempt to fix the rules that govern this fund. You can start
by taking out the "collateral resources" deduction.
Thank You,
Individual Comment
Yonkers, NY