Tuesday, August 23, 2011

We're all paying for city lawsuits

From the NY Post:

It's a city where every measly pothole and shaky monkey bar can mean a megabucks legal payout -- with taxpayers footing the multibillion-dollar bill.

The city was socked with an astronomical $6 billion in judgments and settlements paid to plaintiffs between fiscal years 2000 and 2010 -- including a slew based on outrageous, costly claims, according to a Post analysis of city comptroller records.

The mind-boggling payout figure is a product of state tort laws that are some of the most lax in the country, along with the larger societal instinct to sue at the drop of a hat, according to critics.

Last year alone, the city shelled out $520.6 million in claims -- the bulk forked over in cases against the NYPD, the Health and Hospitals Corp. and the Department of Transportation, according to a biannual report released by City Comptroller John Liu in June.

Personal-injury claims accounted for 99 percent of the payouts for tort cases -- an umbrella term for civil disputes involving personal or property negligence.

3 comments:

Mayor Mike said...

And this is a problem because...

Anonymous said...

"Last year alone, the city shelled out $520.6 million in claims -- the bulk forked over in cases against the NYPD"

I've been saying this for almost 2 years on this blog. The NYPD is the most INCOMPETENT/CORRUPT police force in the nation. They cost tax payers (as mentioned above) about HALF A BILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR in lawsuits. These cops come from long island and have absolutely no idea how life in the 5 boroughs (which is VERY VERY VERY different than what it is in Nassau and Suffolk county)

Body slamming bicyclists... planting drugs ALL the time, illegally searching people, using excessive force and the list can go on forever.

There is an admission of guilt by the courts in that they are paying out big bucks to the plantiffs.

Anonymous said...

and the cops don't protect you when you need them? What's the point of your rant. Do away with cops?

PALEEZE! The 60's were over years ago.

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