News & Blog 
By: Scott Hobson On Tuesday, state assemblyman and chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, Joseph Morelle (D, Irondequoit) introduced legislation which would bring New York’s astronomical interest rate on judgments in line with market rates. The legislation is sponsored in the Senate by Joseph Griffo (R, Utica), Chair of the Senate Banking Committee. In New [...]
An article recently published in Thomson Reuters News & Insight discusses ‘Scaffold Law‘ reform: “Tort reform advocates and some state lawmakers are renewing a push to overhaul New York’s controversial scaffold law, which imposes absolute liability on employers and property owners when construction workers are injured in elevation-related accidents. New York is the only state [...]
By: Michael Seinberg Here’s a new one: A woman is claiming in a federal lawsuit that McDonald’s is responsible, in part, for forcing her into the world’s oldest profession. Oh, and it happened 20 years ago. Oh, and she married the guy who did this to her. Confused? Read on. Shelley Lynn claims that she was hired [...]
By: Michael Seinberg For 83-year old Evelyn Paswell, modern architecture seems to be a problem. Paswell walked into the clear glass front door of the Manhassat, Long Island Apple Store on December 13 and broke her nose. Paswell, a Queens grandmother and former fur company vice president is now suing Apple for $1 million. The [...]
On Tuesday Senator Gallivan announced his sponsorship of a bill to reform New York’s antiquated ‘Scaffold Law.’ This announcement has echoed with attention from the media, despite the unfortunate timing of the budget hype. The announcement was heralded by business groups, taxpayer groups, and civil justice advocates as an important step forward, and has garnered [...]
“New York State is routinely hailed as one of the most adverse environments in the nation for creating jobs, retaining jobs, or attracting jobs. To change that, New York needs to examine its own regulations and red tape that deter private sector growth and investment – beginning with the state’s burdensome Scaffold Law,” said Senator [...]
Read the guest viewpoint recently featured in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin and the Elmira Star Gazette written by LRANY Executive Director, Tom Stebbins. This piece highlights the unfortunate lawsuits being filed against multiple municipalities regarding their responses to the 2011 flooding. These lawsuits will only further worsen the condition of these municipalities who are still struggling [...]
By: Scott Hobson The New York State Senate has passed legislation, sponsored by Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R, Rockville Centre), which increases penalties for hiring or acting as a “runner” to procure clients, patients, or customers. A runner is defined as a person hired by a professional, typically a lawyer or doctor, to solicit services. [...]
By: Mike Seinberg A class action lawsuit against the Iowa state government is being closely watched by civil rights advocates and civil justice activists. The case, which covers up to 6,000 African-Americans who allege that they were passed over for jobs and or promotions dating back to 2003, comes down to what is being called [...]
The New York Daily News reports that a suit filed against American Apparel founder, Dov Charney, has been tossed out in New York as there was already an arbitration agreement in California. It seems as though this plaintiff was giving her suit a try in the courts of two states at the same time. An excerpt: “A salacious [...]
