Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-09-20
MANY DAMAGE SUITS.
Claims Aggrcgaling Five Million Dol
lars Auunully brought aSainht
New York City.

Claims filed against the CITY OF New
York for damages, some real. some
exaggerated and some fictitious.
amount in the Year ON the average 10
$5,o0o,o00. There is practically no
subject OF claim upon which a demand
for pecunary compensation can be
based which has not at some time
been urged against the city. and some
OF these claims as filed present
somewhat grotesque character. The
law provides that any person having.
or claiming to have, a Just cause OF
action against the city. or valid I
claim against it, must file it in writ
ing with the comptroller. The law |
| gives the comptroller 80 days for eN-
animation into any claim thus filed.
and no proceedings for its collection
can be taken until the expiration of
that period. Then. if no determna-
ton of the matter is reached. the
| claimant brings a suit the defense
of which. for the city. devolves upon
the corporation counsel, says the New
York Sun.
Some of the claimants against the
city ask no more than reasonable re-
enumeration for the damages they
have suffered. or the disabilities they
have been put under, but much
larger number interpose eNtravagant
claims under the theory that the
larger the demand the easier the con-
cession of a smaller sum-thus one
claim filed last month with the comp
troller was for 5000 and the form
of it follows:
Damages for personal injuries re-
ceived by the claimant while stand
ing on the corner of South and (lln-
ton streets, in the borough of Man
haitian"
The personal injuries complained of
We're ascribed to the negligence of the
driver of cart in the street cleaning
department the cart colliding with
the claimant
Another claim was for $4,000:
Damages for personal injuries re-
sulting from a fall on the sidewalk
at the intersection of Eighth avenue
and Thirty first street"
Another was for 100000 sought by
complainant for damages for per
sonal injuries received by claimant
while walking along Fulton street. in
the borough of BROOKLYN 1t was
contended that the injuries suffered
arose from the defective condition OF
the sidewalk of Fulton street. Cou-
pied with this claim filed at the same
time was another for $1,000 by the
husband of the CLAIMANT who de-
manded that sum from the city las
damage for the loss of services and
assistance of his wife due to the per-
sonal injuries suffered aforesaid'
Another suit filed at almost the
same time was for $50 900 for injuries
suffered in falling down an unguarded
cmbunkment. and in winter time the
number of such damage suits is great
er than during the summer in conse
quence of the accidents arising or
the sidewalks from which snow anC
ice have not been removed. The city
accepts notice through the comp
troller of all such suits impartially
He takes usually no action upon then
until suit is brought and then the
matter comes up for settlement be
tween the representatives of the city
and counsel of the claimant. If al
agreement can be reached, usual,
through Il large concession of tn,
amount claimed. a judgment for sucl
! sum is entered by consent against thu
city. IT, as is more frequently thu
case. no such mutual agreement cal
be reached. the matter is brought be
fore a jury and its determination is
record of judgment against the cit,
if the complainant wins That TIL
= city does not always lose is shown b,
- the fact that the costs collected b,
the corporation counsel's office. man,
:, of them paid by claimants against tn
M CITY. amount to about $1,000 a year
Fo They are turned into the city treas
=, ury.
~ Although the aggregate amount O
~ claims against the city is 100000
u on the average each year. the onl
- provision for the payment of sue
~ claims is the appropriation for ''jude
MS ments." This appropriation for thi
al wear is S250GO0. so that the basis c
ne settlement with claimants is ut tn
Ike rate of about five cents on the dolla
ny five cents for every dollar elaine
n as damages.
lis
Too Hard Tncl>ling for the Half-Bacl
g. The bob-sled fever was running i
ng course through the freshman elias
nj One afternoon the SEED was crowde
OK with freshmen beyond its limit. a
Its went we'll. however. until a bend in Il
as road and stalwart youth presente