The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22
FIVE MILLIONS A YEAR CLAIMED.
Five Gents on the Dollar IL the City's Average
Payment for Damage Suits.

Claims filed against the city Of New York
for damages, some real, some exaggerated
and some fictitious. amount In a year on the
average TO 100000 There "a practically
no subject Of claim upon which a demand
for pecuniary compensation can be bUsed
which has not at some time been urged against
the city. and some Of these claims as filed pre-
sent a somewhat grotesque character. The
law provides that any person having. or claim
ing TO have. a just cause Of action against the
city. or q valid claim against II. must file II In
writing with the Comptroller. The law gives
the Comptroller thirty days for examination
into any claim thus fled. and no proceedines
tion. OF that period. Then, If no determination
OF the matter Is reached. the claimant brings
a suit. the defence Of which. for the city. de-
wolves upon the Corporation Counsel.
Some Of the claimants against the city ask
no more than reasonable remuneration for
the damages they have suffered. or the disa-
bil!tiss they have been put under BUY a nHGh
under the theory that the larger the demand
the easier the concession OF a smaller sum
thus one claim filed last month with tho Comp
troller was for 1900 and the form of 1t follows:
Damages for personal I'M uries received by
the claimant while standing on the corner
Of South and Clinton streets In the borough Of
The personal injuries complained Of were
ascribed 10 the negligence Of the driver of a
cart in the Street Cleaning Department. the
cart colliding with the claimant.
Another claim was for $4,000;
from pS q fsi on '9 The e Sidewalk al T" tna ntr rrse,tios
Of ElsAth avenue and Thirty.arst street"
tecceivad BY claimant while walking along Ful,
ton street, In the borough Of Brooklyn It
was c%ontended that the I'M uries suffered arose
from the defective condition Of the sideva ak
Of Fulton street, Coupled with this claim, fled
OF the same time, was another for $500 by the
husband Of the claimant, who demanded that
services ssH and d assistance Of fis vile due to the
personal injuries suffered aforesaid"
an unguarded embankment. and in winter time
the number Of such damage suits IA greater
s sosIds anf'n aris shs 'o ON the s 1h s%Hnfiss1 iro% S %h i9s
snow and ice have not been removed. The city
accepts notice through the COMPTROLLER Of all
such suits impartialy., He takes usually no
the then matter comes up FOR settlement between
the representatives Of the city and counsel Of
the claimant. II an agreement can be reached,
amount claimed. n judgment for such sum Is
entered by consent against the city. II. as Is
more frequently the cnse, no such mutual
agreement can he reached, the matter Ia brought
before a jury and its determination Is a record
OF Judgment against the city II the com plainant
wins. That the city does not alwa avs lose Is
the Corporation Counsel's Office. many OF them
paid by claimants az ainat the city. amount 10
about 5000 a year. They are turned into the
although the aggregate amount Of claims
against the city Ia g., oOO,O 40 on the average each
year. the only provision for the payment Of
such claims In the appropriation for "iudg-
$4,000 so that the basis Of settlement with
claimants IA nj the rate OF about Ave cents on
the ,dollar-'dve cents for every dollar claimed