Who We Are
The Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation (CJCC) is an alliance of survivors of child abuse, their representatives, and advocates committed to ensuring that survivors receive the restitution that they deserve.
Our Mission
The CJCC is holding insurers and regulators accountable for ensuring they meet their contractual obligation to ensure that child sex abuse claims are finally and fully paid so that survivors receive full restitution.
The Problem
- In 2019, New York survivors and advocates fought tirelessly to pass the Child Victims Act (CVA), opening up the opportunity for survivors of child sexual abuse to file back claims and receive just compensation for the abuse they experienced.
- After the CVA was passed, the Department of Financial Services released guidance for all insurance companies to fully cooperate with the intent of the Child Victims Act.
- To date, the focus of policy makers and the media has been on litigation, as nearly 11,000 survivors have come forward to seek justice in New York alone.
- As institutions grapple with the enormous potential liability, insurers in New York and across America, after years of collecting billions in premiums, are running away from their obligation.
- Through litigation and other stalling tactics, many insurers are cynically delaying and in some cases, outright denying coverage to reduce their liability.
- Deny, delay, deny, delay – this is the oldest tactic in the insurance industry’s playbook – tragically denying justice and closure to survivors who have already suffered so much.
- A perfect example of this are the actions of Chubb. Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, is the long-time insurance carrier for the Archdiocese of New York, which has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance premiums to Chubb.
- Chubb is now refusing to meet its legal obligation to pay out claims presented by survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
- Survivors of childhood sexual abuse have claims at an estimated cost of $1 billion that Chubb has made clear it has no intention to pay –– going so far as to sue its own clients to get out of its contractual obligations.
- Chubb’s refusal to pay claims and meet its contractual obligations could force organizations like the Archdiocese of New York into bankruptcy, resulting in pennies on the dollar for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
- Chubb is pushing to circumvent the judicial process and short-change survivors by claiming that they do not owe an insurance obligation for any single CVA case involving the NY Archdiocese – before a single case has even begun litigation.
- And while Chubb, an $80 billion company, refuses to meet its obligation to pay claims for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, it is spending tens of millions of dollars in sponsorships for events like the US Open, Art Basel, and the Chubb Classic Golf competition.
- NY policymakers and the Department of Financial Services must hold powerful insurance carriers like Chubb responsible for their contractual obligations and for ensuring survivors of sexual abuse are justly and compassionately compensated.
- CJCC is committed to holding Chubb accountable to meet its contractual obligation to the survivors of childhood sexual abuse and send a message to the rest of the industry that they cannot shirk this responsibility.
- Chubb is the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company worth more than $80 billion — which pales in comparison to what survivors are seeking.
- But for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, these settlement funds symbolize closure and justice and are attempts at restitution for the damage that sexual abuse has had on their lives.
- Chubb needs to be held accountable by policymakers, the New York State Department of Financial Services, and the public, for attempting to shirk its responsibility to pay claims by survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Trustees
James R. Marsh
Trustee
James R. Marsh is the founder of the Marsh Law Firm based in New York. Marsh Law has earned worldwide recognition for its work helping victims and survivors of sexual abuse obtain justice and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The Marsh Law Firm has also been instrumental in passing major laws on behalf of victims and survivors of childhood sexual abuse, including the federal Amy Vicky and Andy Act, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act, the States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), Masha’s Law, and New York’s Child Victim’s Act.
David Catalfamo
Trustee
David Catalfamo is a seasoned communications expert and economic development strategist with a proven track record of success in crisis response. With years of experience in the public and private sectors, David has become a sought-after advisor on everything from disaster recovery to economic revitalization to crisis communications.
