• 15
  • June
    2010

Nadya Suleman, known colloquially as the "Octomom," recently settled a workers' compensation lawsuit against the state of California for just over $23,000. The lawsuit goes back more than a decade, to when she worked as a psychiatric technician at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk.

The workers' compensation suit was originally settled at around $40,000, but due to legal fees and other, prior payment, the net total was nearly halved. Suleman was not seriously injured and a spokeswoman for the California Department of Workers; Compensation stated that the payment was for "all issues of permanent disability and future medical needs."

Even with this settlement, at least three of Suleman's medical providers currently have outstanding claims against the State Compensation Insurance Fund. Southern California Mental Health Associates, Southern California Mental Health Pasadena and AD-RX pharmacy are seeking $800, total, from the state in regards to care and services provided to Suleman following her injury.

Suleman raised eyebrows across the country in January 2009 when she became mother to a set of octuplets, the longest living set in history. At the time she gave birth, she already had six other children, was single and unemployed. All 14 of her children were conceived via in vitro treatments.

Since giving birth, she has been both an object of interest and scorn and has appeared on shows like Jimmy Kimmel, The View and Dr. Phil. She was also interviewed on NBC by Ann Curry. Despite claiming that her decisions were not made for attention, she has cashed in on her celebrity status, becoming a spokeswoman of sorts for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and selling pictures of herself in a bikini to several tabloid magazines.

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