SETTLEMENT OF $845,000 FOR WOMAN ASSAULTED IN BASEMENT OF CO-OP CITY BUILDING

A settlement of $845,000 was negotiated on behalf of our client who was slashed by an assailant in her apartment building. We were able to establish that the Co-op City private security force was negligent in failing to timely respond to a neighbors complaint of a suspicious man in the building lobby.

DEP WHISTLEBLOWER RECEIVES $185,000 FOR WRONGFUL TERMINATION

A former Department of Environmental Protection employee was awarded $185,000 for being fired after complaining of her supervisor's abuse of City time and record falsification dealing with the reservoir water samples. The settlement was based upon whistleblower status and First Amendment protections.

SIX WOMEN AWARDED $250,000 FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY MAJOR NATIONWIDE RETAIL CHAIN

Six women were awarded $250,000 for being subjected to unwanted sexual advances, groping and physical intimidation by a store manager of a major nationwide retail chain. In addition to the award of damages, the store manager was terminated from his position as a result of the lawsuit.

TRANSIT AUTHORITY PAYS PREGNANT TRAIN OPERATORS AND CONDUCTORS $250,000 FOR GENDER AND PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION

In a Federal Court lawsuit, the Transit Authority paid $250,000 to female employees who were subject to discriminatory layoffs relating to their pregnancy status. In addition, the pregnancy policy of the NYCTA was rewritten as a result of this lawsuit.

All of our clients should be aware of the basic types of auto insurance coverage available, so that you can make an intelligent choice when purchasing your policies. Many of you purchase insurance through a broker and are only interested in the cheapest coverage available. This is understandable, but you must be aware of the consequences. Brokers often fail to mention important coverage that you all should have. The following is for your information:

Liability Coverage-this is the portion of your policy which covers you if you are in an accident which is your fault. The insurance company provides a lawyer to defend you if your are sued. The minimum requirement to operate a car in New York is $25,000 per person injured with a maximum of $50,000 per accident. This is known as 25/50 coverage. ADVICE: If you have any assets to protect, you should increase this coverage to at least 100/300, otherwise any injuries you cause in an accident in excess of the minimum coverage will expose you to personal liability.

No-Fault Coverage-(also known as Personal Injury Protection)-this is the portion of your policy which provides coverage for you and your car's passengers for medical bills and lost wages suffered due to an auto accident. As the name implies, this coverage is automatic without regard to fault for the accident. The minimum required coverage is $50,000. ADVICE: Your may want to increase this coverage to $100,000. If you or one of your passengers is seriously injured $50,000 will not be enough to pay your medical bills and lost wages while you recover.

Uninsured and Underinsured Coverage- Uninsured motorist coverage is very important!! If you are injured by an uninsured vehicle, hit and run vehicle or a stolen vehicle, you can collect money from your own insurance company through this coverage. This coverage is usually the same as your liability coverage. It is automatically 25/50 unless you pay for higher limits. Underinsured coverage is equally important. Most insurance policies have the same amount of coverage for uninsured and underinsured unless it shows separately. Underinsured coverage can come into play only if you have more than the minimum liability coverage of 25/50. ADVICE: Increase your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to a minimum of 100/300.

Example of Underinsured coverage: You have 100/300 liability coverage and 100/300 underinsured coverage. Another car hits you and you are injured. Your injuries are worth $100,000. The other car is driving with the minimum 25/50 liability coverage. You can collect the $25,000 from the other car and another $75,000 from your own (for a total of $100,000) insurance company because you have the underinsured coverage. The reason is, the other car is underinsured compared to you. She has 25/50 liability coverage and you have 100/300.

You will find that increasing the above coverages as recommended will greatly increase the protection you provide for your family and yourself. These increases will not raise your insurance premiums as much as you might think. Ask your insurance company or broker for quotes.