(a) Judgments herein referred to shall, for the purpose of this chapter only, are deemed satisfied:

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Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17D-4-7

  • judgment: shall mean : Any judgment which shall have become final by expiration without appeal of the time within which an appeal might have been perfected, or by final affirmation on appeal, rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction of any state or of the United States, upon a cause of action arising out of the ownership, operation, maintenance, or use of any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer for damages, including damages for care and loss of services, because of bodily injury to or death of any person, or for damages because of injury to or destruction of property, including the loss of use thereof, or upon a cause of action on an agreement of settlement for such damages. See West Virginia Code 17D-4-3
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.

(1) When $20,000 has been credited upon any judgment or judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of bodily injury to or death of one person as the result of any one accident; or

(2) When, subject to such limit of $20,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person, the sum of $40,000 has been credited upon any judgment or judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons as the result of any one accident; or

(3) When $10,000 has been credited upon any judgment or judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of injury to or destruction of property of others as a result of any one accident.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, judgments herein referred to that are rendered upon a cause of action that arose on or after January 1, 2016, for the purpose of this chapter only, are deemed satisfied:

(1) When $25,000 has been credited upon any judgment or judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of bodily injury to or death of one person as the result of any one accident; or

(2) When, subject to such limit of $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person, the sum of $50,000 has been credited upon any judgment or judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons as the result of any one accident; or

(3) When $25,000 has been credited upon any judgment or judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of injury to or destruction of property of others as a result of any one accident.

(c) Payments made in settlement of any claims because of bodily injury, death or property damage arising from such accident shall be credited in reduction of the amounts provided for in this section.