November 6, 2015
By Tara Jessup
New York, NY – A New York City Comptroller report analyzing claims activity in Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 against five City agencies—the Police Department, Health and Hospitals Corporation, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Sanitation— show a trending down of claims activity.
In a sharp departure from recent years, personal injury police action claims declined nearly 13 percent during the year, with overall claims against the Police Department down 12 percent from FY14. However, several precincts in the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn continue to see high claims activity, even after correcting for crime rates.
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 sets aside $710 million to pay settlements and judgments from lawsuits brought against the City of New York. That is more than $83 per New York City resident that is devoted to claims, ranging from falling tree limbs and unfilled potholes, to medical malpractice and civil rights violations. By taking a data-driven approach to claims management, ClaimStat is helping City agencies improve service delivery and reduce costs to taxpayers.
“I’m happy to report that claims against the City have declined in many areas,” Comptroller Stringer said. “The NYPD in particular is doing a great job of bringing down the overall number of claims, and their approach should serve as an example for every City agency to follow. I thank Commissioner Bratton for his leadership, and look forward to continuing our close partnership with the Department as we provide them with real-time data to target problem areas.”
