New York Daily News: Readers sound off on Bob Knight’s temper, Aaron Boone’s presentation and wrongful death liability

By: Tom Stebbins

Albany: Re “Don’t delay justice for N.Y. families” (op-ed, Nov. 15): OBGYNs, surgeons, local governments, small businesses and even the New York State Division of Budget have been sounding the alarms that if Gov. Hochul signs legislation radically expanding liability in wrongful death lawsuits, access to health care, government services, personal auto insurance, household budgets and much more will be put at risk. According to actuaries, the bill will increase medical professional liability premiums by 40%, general liability premiums by 11% and auto insurance premiums by 6%. Unfortunately, bill sponsor Assemblymember Helene Weinstein continues to ignore that data, the concerns of that broad coalition and even Hochul, who vetoed the 2022 version of the bill. Weinstein claims the 2023 bill addresses Hochul’s concerns. It does not. The Legislature passed a nearly identical bill. Laws in other states, like Illinois, are not as broad and open-ended as Weinstein’s bill.