Los Angeles, Calif., Aug 30, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Insurers for the dioceses of Los Angeles and Orange are balking at paying the possible damages claimed by hundreds of people, who say they were sexually abused by Catholic priests.
According to newly released court documents from pre-trial proceedings, the damages in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles alone could exceed $1.5 billion, reported the Los Angeles Times. This amount far exceeds what any other U.S. diocese has paid to date.
There are more than 500 child-molestation claims against Los Angeles priests and another 60 against priests from the Diocese of Orange – both dioceses are part of the same litigation.
Damages, if proven, could be paid both by insurers and from church assets. However, The plaintiffs’ lead lawyer has requested that insurers pay at least $3.1 million per individual claimant.