Meet Victor Manuel Caballero

Why not? If you live in New Jersey, you'll be subsidizing him, despite his status as an illegal alien. Seems, according to the NJ Supreme Court, he's only illegal under Federal Law. Read below. The driver, Martinez, was also illegal but can't cash in here because he lives in PA. Caballero isn't illegal for two reasons - he wasn't deported, and he planned to live in NJ.

Less than six months in this country - no license or insurance. And he gets about 40K in healthcare covered by legal NJ residents plus whatever he can get from some court represented by a lawyer who already has another 20 illegal alien clients lined up.

And he doesn't even have to stay in NJ to be a resident.

"A person may be a 'resident' even if the intent to remain ultimately is not realized," Justice James R. Zazzali wrote for the court, adding, "Other jurisdictions have determined that illegal aliens can qualify as residents under various state statutes."

He must be suffering terribly, especially as he has since gotten married and had a child.

Since the accident, Caballero has married and had a child, but probably has not gained legal residency, said his lawyer.

"I'm sure, like all of the other foreign-born people, he is watching the news closely and would like to change his status," Covelli said.

And now every legal NJ resident with car insurance can know that, depending on how much he gets in court, our insurance rates will tick up. But not just because of Caballero, but because this opens the doors for any number of illegals which comprise 4% of the state population to come forward with their claims against our uninsured driver's pool. How special.

New Jersey's Supreme Court today unanimously ruled that illegal immigrants injured by uninsured drivers can have medical costs covered by a fund whose money comes from insurance fees.

The 7-0 decision by New Jersey highest court, which reverses two lower court rulings, comes as lawmakers in Washington and Trenton consider how to deal with illegal immigration.

"It's a victory for a lot of injured people who were being denied benefits because they are not legal residents," said Victor M. Covelli, a lawyer for Victor Manuel Caballero, a Mexican who was a car passenger when hurt in 2001, five months after he came to live with family members in Bradley Beach.

The decision could have statewide financial impact. Covelli said he had 20 clients who might now qualify for benefits. New Jersey has about 360,000 illegal immigrants, or about 4 percent of the population, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

Court Document in pdf.

Victor Manuel Caballero, a national of Mexico, came to New Jersey as an undocumented alien in March 2001. His brother, father and two cousins were already in New Jersey; his mother followed soon after. Caballero came to New Jersey to work for at least five years to save money to help his family. In August 2001, he was seriously injured in an automobile accident while riding as a passenger in an uninsured, unregistered vehicle. Caballero’s co-worker, Ricardo Martinez, was driving him to work when Martinez fell asleep at the wheel and struck a parked tractor-trailer. Caballero underwent surgery for injuries to his abdomen and intestines and was hospitalized for a week. He has incurred approximately $38,300 in medical bills and $1,482 in net lost wages. When the accident occurred, Caballero was 17 years old, did not own a car or have a driver’s license, and was not covered by health or automobile liability insurance. None of Caballero’s family members had insurance under which he could seek recovery.

Prior to the accident, Caballero repaired computers for 14 to 15 hours a day and earned about $400 per week. He returned to work six weeks after the accident and is still employed at the same computer store. Some of Caballero’s injuries are permanent. He works fewer hours than before the accident and can no longer lift heavy computers. He cannot run, has difficulty sleeping because of abdominal pain and experiences pain in the area of his surgery during cold weather. At the time that Caballero filed this appeal, he was living with his parents and girlfriend in Lakewood, New Jersey. He states that he will stay in New Jersey for as long as he can, “[a]s long as they don’t deport me.”

Comments

[coconuttree]

Dan, are you a Christian?.

[Dan]

Dan, are you a Christian?

That has absolutely no bearing on thsi discussion.

[Clare]

If we should take the "Christian" point of view, then I should consider the monthly $1,085 check for health insurance and the $320 check that I just wrote out for my NJ auto insurance a tax-deductible donation when filing my NJ state taxes next year. It is absurd to even think of it in those terms. This is not a religious issue, but a legal and economical issue. Caballero has no right whatsoever to receive funds from a system he has never paid a cent into.

[SinCerely]

Of course if an illegal is severly injured they should be given the same medical treatment any american without insurance would get. Provide documents of citizenship, ie social secuirty and birth certificates, the need to fill out 27 pages of documents (all printed in English). If they can prove they are out of work and in need, by all means fix em'.
Like Americans, if they cannot provide this needed info, they should be refused.

If your looking for a Christian answer. Take this poor guys case to your church and ask your pastor to provide the money for medical, restitution and incarceration bills. Now that would be the Christian way.

While your there I have another case. Christmas eve my son was hit head on by a non-insured driver who was not only drunk and passed out the wheel but an illegal, driving a car owned but not registered or insured by another illegal. THis slime spent 6 weeks in a local hospital from his injuries. My son's brand new car was totaled, his loss was $8.000 after the insurance company paid off the car. Not to mention the amount lost from being out of work and having to pay out of pocket medical bills. Now the illegal will sit his ass in a state prison for the next 3 years at taxpayers expense and not have to fork over a dime.

As a christian I follow the laws established. I expect the same punishment be dished out to others. And yes LIL eddie, he is a lowly brown wetback not to mention a criminal. Too you I also suggest the adoption of a wetback. But I doubt you could afford it. 1.6 billion a year to house and jail illegal immigrants,65% who are wetbacks is not my idea of the american way.

[Draegn]

If people would get off thier complacent asses and vote for a non-GOP non-Dem government, a government that would take care of Americans first by any means necessary. We would not have these problems today.

[VirginiaBreeze]

It's cases like this that burn me up!!! I've busted my butt for 30 yrs. working and still have to scrape the bucket to meet the bills. Yet, our taxes are used to support idle, lazy American's who CAN, but WON'T work. We pay to keep aliens in US jails; we pay to support those having 8 children (but claim no knowledge of their fathers); we dole out so much in taxes that the honest, hardworking family can hardly survive anymore. Now, we have to support those injured who are not citizens. Is there ever an end to how our taxes are being used or the rates we pay to cover them? I could actually make more money NOT working. Sad.

[cinema10]

Home schooling provides a better education, is worse for your child

[musclemenxxx]

Not much on my mind right now. Today was a complete loss. So it goes. I've just been sitting around waiting for something to happen. I've basically been doing nothing , but I guess it doesn't bother me.

[sluts getting fucked]

Public schools have to say, don't have to say the Pledge of Alliegence

[ebony joy]

I haven't been up to much lately. Eh. I just don't have anything to say right now. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning. That's how it is. I haven't gotten anything done.

[first time swallow]

Gay couples should be, should not be allowed to marry

[gay asian xxx]

Life is designed by some sort of intelligence, God created life

[hot guys cock sex]

Public schools have to say, don't have to say the Pledge of Alliegence