Assembly Bill A9028

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Provides, in tort cases where one defendant has settled, that remaining defendants must elect prior to trial as to reduction in liability; repealer

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - On Floor Calendar


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

2017-A9028 (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:
General Obligations Law
Laws Affected:
Rpld & add §15-108, Gen Ob L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A2579
2011-2012: A625
2013-2014: A1085
2015-2016: A244
2019-2020: A2372
2021-2022: A3024
2023-2024: A1739

2017-A9028 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides, in tort cases where one defendant has settled, that remaining defendants must elect, prior to trial, whether to reduce liability by the amount of the settlement or by the amount of the equitable share of damages delegated to the settler in the verdict.

2017-A9028 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9028
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 12, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Judiciary
 
 AN  ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to settlements
   in tort actions; and to repeal section 15-108 of such law relating  to
   release or covenant not to sue
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 15-108 of the general obligations law  is  REPEALED
 and a new section 15-108 is added to read as follows:
   § 15-108. SETTLEMENTS IN TORT ACTIONS. (A) EFFECT OF SETTLEMENT. (1) A
 SETTLEMENT  REACHED  WITH  ONE  OF TWO OR MORE PERSONS WHO ARE LIABLE OR
 CLAIMED TO BE LIABLE IN TORT FOR THE SAME INJURY OR WRONGFUL DEATH  DOES
 NOT  DISCHARGE  ANY  OTHER  TORTFEASOR  FROM  LIABILITY UNLESS ITS TERMS
 EXPRESSLY SO PROVIDE, EXCEPT THAT EACH OF THE REMAINING TORTFEASORS  MAY
 CHOOSE  TO  REDUCE  HIS OR HER LIABILITY TO THE PLAINTIFF OR CLAIMANT BY
 THE STATED SETTLEMENT AMOUNT, THE CONSIDERATION ACTUALLY  PAID,  OR  THE
 SETTLING TORTFEASOR'S EQUITABLE SHARE OF THE DAMAGES AS DETERMINED UNDER
 ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES.
   (2)  WHEN  MORE  THAN ONE PERSON SETTLES WITH A PLAINTIFF OR CLAIMANT,
 EACH OF THE REMAINING TORTFEASORS  MAY  CHOOSE  TO  REDUCE  HIS  OR  HER
 LIABILITY  TO  THE  PLAINTIFF  OR  CLAIMANT  BY  THE TOTAL OF ALL STATED
 SETTLEMENT AMOUNTS, THE TOTAL CONSIDERATION ACTUALLY PAID FOR ALL OF THE
 SETTLEMENTS, OR THE TOTAL OF THE SETTLING TORTFEASORS' EQUITABLE  SHARES
 OF  THE  DAMAGES AS DETERMINED UNDER ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THE CIVIL PRAC-
 TICE LAW AND RULES.
   (3) THE CHOICE AUTHORIZED BY THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE  MADE  IN  OPEN
 COURT OR IN A WRITING SUBSCRIBED ON BEHALF OF THE PARTY SEEKING TO LIMIT
 LIABILITY, AND SHALL BE MADE PRIOR TO THE FIRST OPENING STATEMENT OF THE
 TRIAL UNLESS THE PARTY MAKING THE ELECTION ONLY LATER BECOMES AWARE THAT
 A  SETTLEMENT  HAS  OCCURRED. IN THE LATTER EVENT, THE ELECTION SHALL BE
 MADE AS SOON AS  REASONABLY  PRACTICABLE  AFTER  THE  PARTY  MAKING  THE
 ELECTION  IS APPRISED OF THE SETTLEMENT OR SETTLEMENTS IN ISSUE, AND, IF
 FEASIBLE, PRIOR TO THE RETURN OF A VERDICT. IN THE ABSENCE  OF  SPECIFIC
 AND TIMELY ELECTION OTHERWISE, A PARTY LIMITING LIABILITY WILL BE DEEMED
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.