While Addi can walk and has youthful bursts of energy from time to time, she still has physical limitations. Katie must bring a walker and wheelchair where they go. One time, Katie got a little too confident and decided to leave them at home on a trip to the mall. “After about 30 minutes, Addi was done,” Katie said. The fact that Addi has her own van is a source of humor for everyone. Addi even gets in on the joke sometimes, Katie said. “If one of her siblings acts up, she’ll remind them, ‘This is my van, and you better behave!’” Forgiveness For many people, it would not be an easy feat to forgive the woman who was sitting behind the wheel the day Addi was struck. She was in her 70s and was distracted, looking at her phone at the time of the accident. “We prayed on how to best handle that situation,” Jeff said. “While I was mad that it happened, I realized there was blame on both sides. That woman didn’t try to hit my daughter. Addi ran out in front of her.
“I didn’t want that woman’s life to be ruined.” Katie added that it’s hard to truly hate someone who is repentant in such a situation. “She totally took accountability for it and gave us her insurance information,” she said. After much thought, Jeff and Katie decided they were going to focus their efforts on getting the best deal they could from the insurance company. Both knew they were fighting for their daughter’s future. While Addi has recovered a great deal from that troubling day, she still has physical and cognitive therapy sessions to attend and will be dealing with some form of a disability stemming from the accident for the rest of her life. “I feel sorry for that woman,” Katie said. “She’s going to play that whole thing through her mind over and over for the rest of her life.” Jeff said he was satisfied with the way things worked out.
religious media group interested in telling her story. “We’re letting Addi’s lawyer read over the contract,” Katie said. Yes. You read that right. A 5-year-old has a lawyer. For the record, she turns 6 Feb. 11. Addi has needed legal services because the negotiation of the $500,000 settlement with the company who insured the woman who hit her. The state gave Addi long-term care insurance and claimed $150,000 of the original amount. Of that settlement, $6,000 went into an account for Addi that only she can access, or if she dies, the state gets the money. The rest of the money sits in an account under the parents’ and Addi’s names, which the parents can only access when they are purchasing something for Addi’s wellbeing. “We have to provide a written explanation for every expense,” Katie said. “The state does audits.” As part of the settlement, Addi also has a minivan in her name. The vehicle allows Addi to travel in comfort in ways a normal car couldn’t. Yep. The 5-year-old has a car and a lawyer.
“I’m glad there weren’t any charges pressed,” Jeff said. “I’ve never heard anything back, but I have reached out to her through the police to let her know that we didn’t have hard feelings.” WATER ICE Ice Cream Ice Cream Thank you for 20 years, Maricopa
Just Moved to Arizona?
Obtain and Complete Voter Registration Form from: • Call Pinal County at (520) 509-3555 • Print a form from online or contact the County Recorder to mail you one. • Register online at p inal.gov/295/ r egister-to- v ote
UPCOMING ELECTIONS PPE .................March 19 Primary ..........August 6 General ..........November 5 Go to www.pinal.gov/ r ecorder for more information.
✓ Ice Cream ✓ Wa le Cones ✓ Smoothies ✓ Alkaline Water ✓ Nostalgic Candy ✓ And More!
10% OFF Must present coupon at
PINAL COUNTY
time of purchase. Expires 2/29/2024 WATER ICE Ice Cream Ice Cream
31 N. Pinal Street Building E Florence (520) 866-6830
Dana Lewis RECORDER r ecorder@pinal.gov www.pinal.gov/ r ecorder
(520) 568-4740 20928 N. John Wayne Pkwy., Suite C-7
Hours - Mon thru Fri 8am to 5pm
February 2024 | InMaricopa.com
37
Powered by FlippingBook