N.Y. High Court Reinstates Trial Court Order Allowing Police Officer to File Claim for Asbestos-Related Injuries

ALBANY, N.Y. –– New York’s highest court has reinstated a trial court order allowing a former police officer to pursue asbestos-related claims against his employer, ruling that a separate benefit statute is “separate and distinct from workers’ compensation benefits,” and that the two are not mutually exclusive of one another.

In the Nov. 21 decision, the New York Court of Appeals wrote that recipients of workers’ compensation benefits are barred from commencing suit against their employers, but those receiving Section 207-c benefits are not held to that same standard.

“In short,” the court wrote, “we conclude that General Municipal Law …