Court Awarded Structured Settlements or annuity-styled income streams paid by an insurance company to compensate an injured individual as the result of a personal injury lawsuit, medical malpractice suit, wrongful death suit or any other type of liability settlement. As a result of injury or wrongful death, plaintiffs are commonly awarded very large settlements. Rather than receiving the settlement in a lump sum, however, the injured party most commonly receives the money as monthly or periodic installments in the form of an annuity.