Q: Is there a way to find out about a past injury settlement? I was injured in the early 70’s before turning legal age.
I live in NY and accident was in Pennsylvania. Settlement would have gone to my parents since i was under 18.
A: In accident cases involving minors in New York and other jurisdictions, the funds from an injury award are not directly presented the minor. The attorney uses an Infant Compromise Order in New York. Other states use similar mechanisms. After a judge approves the settlement terms, money is held in an account for the minor until their 18th birthday. The attorney who represented you in the case should have information about this in their file. Good luck
Daniel Michael Luisi and Jonathan R. Ratchik agree with this answer
A: The settlement proceeds from your settlement would likely have been deposited in a bank account held jointly by one of your parents and an officer of the bank. Once you reached the age of majority (18), the funds would have belonged to you and to you alone. If your lawyer is still around after almost 50 years, you can try seeing if they have any paperwork that identifies the bank in which your funds were deposited (unlikely). Or you can try visiting the local courthouse or county clerk's office and try to locate the paperwork associated with the settlement. As my colleague correctly advised, a judge usually has to sign off on any settlement involving a minor.
Daniel Michael Luisi and Tim Akpinar agree with this answer
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