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News & Updates....

PRESIDENT KELMACHTER'S OP ED FEATURED IN THE ITHACA JOURNAL
President Kelmachter's Op Ed, "Lawsuits Are Powerful Way To Get Justice For Consumers", was published in the Ithaca Journal on August 11, 2011. President Kelmachter argued that "eliminating workplace protections and punishing victims of negligence and their families" is not the way to stimulate New York's economy and create jobs. President Kelmachter rebutted the "lawsuit culture" myth, pointing out that "corporations and their front groups...paint the picture that those who want their day in court are abusing the civil justice system," but the reality being that the court system functions to hold government and big corporations accountable when they cause harm.

Click here to read the editorial in its entirety.


PRESIDENT KELMACHTER'S LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE BUFFALO NEWS
President Kelmachter's Letter to the Editor, "Don't Punish Victims In Pursuit of Justice", was published in the Buffalo News on August 12, 2011. President Kelmachter rebutted Thomas Stebbins' piece, "Antiquated Legal System Is A Drag On State's Economy". President Kelmachter rejected Stebbins' argument that limiting victims' rights to access the civil justice system benefits New Yorkers – "eliminating vital protections for workers and consumers only helps big business – and hurts average New Yorkers." President Kelmachter added that limiting the rights of injured victims "merely shifts costs from hugely profitable corporations to regular taxpayers, leaving New Yorkers to pick up the tab for injuries."

Click here to read the letter to the editor in its entirety.


NYSTLA CONGRATULATES THE 2011-2012 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS ON INSTALLATION


President Leslie D. Kelmachter is installed by Hon. Victoria Graffeo


NYSTLA's new officers are installed

More than 350 members of the bench and bar gathered at Capitale Restaurant in Manhattan on June 23, 2011 for the installation of NYSTLA's 44th President, Leslie D. Kelmachter, and the incoming class of officers and directors. The Honorable Victoria A. Graffeo, Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, performed the installation ceremony. Our new President-Elect, Michael Jaffe spoke glowingly about the depth of commitment and sacrifice of outgoing President Nicholas I. Timko, who was working tirelessly in Albany advocating on NYSTLA's behalf during the final days of the legislative session in Albany and unexpectedly unable to participate in the ceremony.


LOBBY DAY - MAY 16-17, 2011

Thank you to all the NYSTLA members who came out to advocate for consumers' rights and promote the civil justice system at Lobby Day on May 16 & 17 in Albany.

Civil justice advocates from across the State met with over 200 legislators to discuss some of NYSTLA's most important pro-consumer issues, including bills that would modernize Insurance Law Section 5102 and update the medical malpractice statute of limitations.


AAJ President Gibson Vance's OpEd, "How Our Cars Got Safer," Published In The Washington Post.

AAJ President Gibson Vance's Op Ed, How Our Cars Got Safer, was published in the Washington Post on April 15, 2011. Remarking that new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) figures show that traffic deaths are at their lowest since 1949, Mr. Vance observed that not only have better technology and better regulations made an impact, but that "litigation and the civil justice system have served as the most consistent and powerful forces in heightening safety standards, revealing previously concealed defects and regulatory weaknesses and deterring manufacturers from cutting corners on safety for the goal of greater profits." Rather than cave to ongoing pressure form auto manufacturers to ease regulations and limit liability, legislators must continue to hold manufacturers accountable and protect consumers' access to the civil justice system.

Click here to read the OpEd in its entirety.


Med Mal Update – Budget Deal Preserves Civil Justice Rights

The Governor and the Legislature announced a budget agreement that preserves New York's civil justice system for most victims of medical malpractice and protects the rights of victims of medical negligence. This agreement rejects the Medicaid Redesign Team's proposed $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.

Read President Timko's letter to NYSTLA members about the budget proposals

here
 
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President's Timko's Op Ed Published in the New York Law Journal
(New York Law Journal, December 28, 2010)

President Nicholas Timko's Op Ed, Judicial Pay Increase: About Time, was published in the New York Law Journal on December 28, 2010. President Timko congratulated Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman and Chief Administrative Judge Ann Pfau for securing enactment of legislation to create a commission to assess and act on the need for judicial salary increases for New York State judges. Calling judicial pay increases long overdue, President Timko lamented the lack of retroactivity for those increases. President Timko argued that judicial pay increases were necessary to compensate New York's highly-regarded and hard-working judicial professionals, who often forego more lucrative careers in favor of public service. President Timko concluded that having a strong and independent judiciary was essential for a robust democracy. Click here to read the Op Ed in its entirety.


NYSTLA is getting a Facelift!


President Nick Timko inspecting the construction process

NYSTLA is excited to report that renovation work to our offices at 132 Nassau Street, Second Floor is in full swing. For the next few months NYSTLA will be temporarily located at 132 Nassau Street, Fourth Floor. We look forward to completion of the renovation and the reopening of our new and improved facilities.






President Timko's Op Ed Calling for Increasing Safety of Children's Products Published in the Brooklyn Eagle
(Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 15, 2010)

President Nicholas Timko's Op Ed, Children's Safety Comes First, was published in the Brooklyn Eagle. President Timko argued that repeated recalls of children's products, including recent recalls of Graco and Maclaren strollers, illustrate the amount of danger to which children are regularly exposed. President Timko observed that manufacturers seem more concerned about profits than preventing injuries to children, and called for increased federal regulation of children's product manufacturers. Click here to read the Letter to the Editor in its entirety.















President Timko's Op Ed Urging Increased Patient Safety Published in the Ithaca Journal, Elmira Star-Gazette, and the Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin
(Ithaca Journal and Elmira Star-Gazette, October 31, 2010)

In President Timko's most recent Op Ed, Safer Practices Would Lower Health Care Costs, he called for more measures to increase patient safety in hospitals, and rejected Lt. Gov. Ravitch's proposal for "tort reform." President Timko highlighted several common sense steps already implemented by health care professionals, like surgery checklists and refresher courses for ER doctors, to reduce medical mistakes. Click here, here, or here to read the Op Ed in its entirety





President Timko's Letter to the Editor Published in the New York Times
(New York Times, October 21, 2010)

President Nicholas Timko's letter to the New York Times was published criticizing Peter Orszag's proposal that clinical guidelines should immunize doctors from malpractice liability. Two days earlier, the Times reported that surgical errors continue to occur too often despite requirements that hospitals adhere to standardized procedures. Click here to read Surgical Errors Continue Despite Protocol. President Timko argued that clinical guidelines are a floor for medical care not a ceiling, and called for increased patient safety incentives to prevent medical mistakes. Click here to read the Letter to the Editor in its entirety.