Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
N.J. Governor will pay thousands in medical bills from crash
By Tom Hester Jr., Associated Press Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2007 | No comments posted.
TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. Jon S. Corzine will forgo his state health insurance and spend hundreds of thousands of his own money to pay for his medical care from a serious car crash, a spokesman said Friday.
The spokesman for Corzine, a multimillionaire from his days leading Goldman Sachs, made the announcement after the governor posed Thursday for photos and told The Associated Press: “I'm the most blessed person who ever lived.”
His decision to pay for his own health care from the April 12 accident spares taxpayers a hefty tab.
“He's been fortunate in life and there's no reason to have taxpayers foot the bill,” spokesman Anthony Coley said.
Corzine is otherwise covered by the state's medical insurance plan, like all state workers.
“We don't know yet the total cost of his care right now, but we expect it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Coley said. “From the Medevac helicopter to the hospital stay to the cheeseburgers to the strawberry milkshakes, the governor intends to pay for all of it himself.”
On Thursday, Corzine was sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed and appeared in good spirits as state workers prepared for him to resume his duties from the governor's mansion in Princeton just north of the Capitol in Trenton. They were installing fiber optic cables to allow Corzine to do video conferencing from Princeton, where he will undergo physical therapy, Coley said.
But Coley said no decision has been made on when Corzine will return to work. Corzine could be released from Cooper University Hospital in Camden on Monday, Coley said.
Senate President Richard J. Codey has been acting governor since the accident left Corzine with a broken leg and other injuries, including 11 broken ribs and a cracked collarbone and sternum.
“We are in no rush for the governor to resume his duties,” Coley said. “We are in very good hands with acting Governor Codey.”
He said Corzine is expected to walk with either a cane or a walker for at least six months.
The 60-year-old governor's SUV was being driven by a state trooper at 91 mph when it was clipped by a truck and lost control on the Garden State Parkway, slamming into a guard rail. Corzine wasn't wearing his seat belt, as required by state law.
The spokesman for Corzine, a multimillionaire from his days leading Goldman Sachs, made the announcement after the governor posed Thursday for photos and told The Associated Press: “I'm the most blessed person who ever lived.”
His decision to pay for his own health care from the April 12 accident spares taxpayers a hefty tab.
“He's been fortunate in life and there's no reason to have taxpayers foot the bill,” spokesman Anthony Coley said.
Corzine is otherwise covered by the state's medical insurance plan, like all state workers.
“We don't know yet the total cost of his care right now, but we expect it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Coley said. “From the Medevac helicopter to the hospital stay to the cheeseburgers to the strawberry milkshakes, the governor intends to pay for all of it himself.”
On Thursday, Corzine was sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed and appeared in good spirits as state workers prepared for him to resume his duties from the governor's mansion in Princeton just north of the Capitol in Trenton. They were installing fiber optic cables to allow Corzine to do video conferencing from Princeton, where he will undergo physical therapy, Coley said.
But Coley said no decision has been made on when Corzine will return to work. Corzine could be released from Cooper University Hospital in Camden on Monday, Coley said.
Senate President Richard J. Codey has been acting governor since the accident left Corzine with a broken leg and other injuries, including 11 broken ribs and a cracked collarbone and sternum.
“We are in no rush for the governor to resume his duties,” Coley said. “We are in very good hands with acting Governor Codey.”
He said Corzine is expected to walk with either a cane or a walker for at least six months.
The 60-year-old governor's SUV was being driven by a state trooper at 91 mph when it was clipped by a truck and lost control on the Garden State Parkway, slamming into a guard rail. Corzine wasn't wearing his seat belt, as required by state law.
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines