Settlements By New York Set a Record
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Spurred by a surge in personal-injury judgments, New York City paid a record $232.5 million to settle lawsuits and other claims for the 1993 fiscal year, according to a report released yesterday by City Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. The figures indicated that the value of judgments against the city in the last seven years doubled and that settlement costs rose more than $13 million from the preceding fiscal year. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has cited the problem as a priority of his administration, particularly as his administration is grappling with sizable budget deficits for the current and coming years. The administration has argued that the amount of claims against the city could be cut by a third if the State Legislature enacts a package of proposals that would limit awards for pain and suffering. The legislation promoted by the administration would also put such cases in the hands of judges rather than juries. But personal-injury lawyers, whose fees would likely be cut by such changes, have vigorously opposed such legislation. There have also been complaints from consumer protection groups, who maintain that the city should not try to balance its budget at the expense of people injured because of its negligence. More : query.nytimes.com |