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California city to pay woman nearly $1m after police dog tore out her scalp
(www.theguardian.com)
$1,000,000 isn't nearly as much as people think it is. It's not even enough to retire on if you're middle aged.
You could live extravagantly for a year or two on that money max.
If you lived modestly at $50,000 a year of expenses (less than the median) you'd get 20 years out of it and you'd have to go back to work if you're younger than 60.
If you lived comfortably at $100,000 a year you'd get a decade at most of of that money, if you're younger than 70 you'll probably have to go back to work.
This article says she was 24 when it happened in 2020, so it's safe to presume she's 28 now.
If she's extra careful with the money and doesn't spend it on anything fancy she can live until maybe 48 on that amount of money, considering all income is taxable though it's safe to assume she'll have to give half of it up to taxes and she could probably stretch it for 10 years to 38. But, seeing as the charge was shoplifting she's probably not in a good situation financially and almost certainly has no experience managing that kind of money.
She'll get used to living a lifestyle she can't maintain and it'll likely be gone in less than 5 years.
This settlement isn't making anything right, they're handing her a curse and it seems cruel to give someone a taste of a lifestyle they'll never be able to afford again.
This is an insultingly low sum of money and it's likely to cause her more pain in the long run than anything.