New York News

Officials Say Western New York Tornadoes Cost $760K

The Chautauqua County Office of Emergency Services says tornadoes that touched down in three western New York communities a week ago caused $760,300 in property damage. The tornadoes touched down in the village of Fredonia and the towns of Pomfret …

NYC Health Club Member Sues Over Breakfast Promise

A lawyer says there’s no such thing as the free breakfast promised by a high-end New York City health club, and he says he should get more than $200,000 for the missing meals. Richard Katz says in a fraud suit …

New York Students to See Danger of Texting While Driving

Students in suburban New York are getting a chance to learn the perils of distracted driving without having to worry about an accident or a traffic ticket. A texting-while-driving simulator that resembles an old-fashioned video game is being demonstrated at …

Merck Settles Vioxx Suits from New York, Florida, South Carolina

Merck & Co. has reached settlements to resolve lawsuits from the states of New York, Florida and South Carolina alleging the company misled state regulators about the dangers of the painkiller Vioxx, according to court filings. The confidential sums were …

More New York Courts to Focus on Medical Malpractice

New York courts specializing in the state’s 4,000 medical malpractice cases filed each year have begun expanding following the success of a Bronx judge in settling cases early. The approach, shown to cut court backlogs and save money, has been …

Lockton Hires Marine Specialist in New York Office

Lockton Companies, a Kansas City, Mo.-headquartered insurance broker, appointed Joe Sheridan as a marine specialist in its New York office. Sheridan will be responsible for developing Lockton’s U.S. marine business with emphasis on providing insurance and risk management services to …

Cuomo: More State Aid for Flood-damaged New York Farms

The Cuomo administration is distributing an additional $850,000 in aid for more than 100 New York farms impacted by flooding caused by tropical storms Irene and Lee. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday, Oct. 25, announced that the state funds will …

Wall Street Protesters Target Health Insurers

Occupy Wall Street protesters held a speak-out and march in New York City targeting the health insurance industry. Several hundred protesters marched on Wednesday, Oct. 26, to the offices at Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield, located near the movement’s encampment in …

Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation to Host Benefit Dinner

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) New York/Northeast division will hold its 2011 benefit dinner on Dec. 14. “There are so many people in need in our area, and, in spite of the economy, the insurance industry continues to respond …

New York Team to Assess Recovery in Flooded Communities

As frustration has built in flood-ravaged upstate New York towns nearly two months after back-to-back tropical storms, Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy is visiting the sites to assess progress. Despite state and federal officials’ assurances of a quick recovery in the …