FameFlynet PicturesNo amount of money will make up for the hand and eye Lauren Scruggs lost in her horrific encounter with a plane's propeller last Dec. 3 that nearly killed her.
But the part-time model and fashion editor can at least take heart that she won't have to struggle so much financially now that her lawyers have reached a "seven-figure settlement" with the plane's insurance company.
E! News has the exclusive scoop.
While the terms of the agreement remain confidential, a source familiar with the personal injury claims negotiations in the Scruggs case tells E! News the 23-year-old blogger has settled with Aggressive Insurance Services for more than $1 million—much more than the $200,000 the company originally offered her and which she rejected.
In pushing for the larger sum, Scruggs' legal team cited a "bucket" of factors, including the need to cover medical bills, lost wages, lost future income and the pain and suffering she sustained from the accident.
The maximum amount payable from the two Aggressive Insurance policies held by the aviation company totaled $2 million. The minimum was $200,000, which is where the negotiations began, and was the figure the insurance firm initially pushed for since the policy states that's the amount she's entitled to as a "passenger."
But yesterday, Scruggs vehemently disagreed, noting that she had already exited the aircraft and was on the tarmac when the mishap occurred and thus should be entitled to more money. She subsequently asked a judge for a declaratory judgment seeking to interpret the definition of "passenger" in the policy.
Scruggs will have another opportunity to pad her bank account for all that she's had to endure these last four months as she's also eyeing a possible book deal.
E! News can report that she's considering a ghost writer for what will be an "inspirational" tome and plans to hold off giving a TV interview until those arrangements can be hashed out.
A publicist for Scruggs could not confirm the book news.