Does anyone know about the "collateral source"
rule in US Admiralty Law? It seems to suggest that a third party defendant (say, an
insurance company) cannot reduce their liability due to any payments the plaintiff may have received from independent sources (his own insurance) that are not paid for by the third party. In effect, it stops the liable third party from profiting from the legitimate coverage bought by the plaintiff with his own
money.
Obviously I'm asking due to a personal situation, one that I cannot go into detail about yet. What I am trying to do is find a
legal and ethical way to get a truly fair recovery, one that will not leave me in a huge financial hole due to someone else's actions. The
legal system seems to largely protect the
insurance companies, but this
rule in Admiralty law may be a saving grace, if it is indeed applicable to my situation.
And yes, I have spoken with a lawyer, many of them in fact. But I am also doing my own
research and due diligence :-).
Thanks,
David.