April 2, 2024
Contact: press@justice4survivors.com | 201-663-5746
CVA Survivor & Advocate Sits in On Oral Arguments in Precedent-Setting Case, Sends Message to CHUBB – ‘CHUBB’s position is morally obscene…Survivors Won’t Be Intimidated’
New York – Today, oral arguments in a major appellate court case between CHUBB and the Archdiocese of New York began – a critical, precedent-setting case that will determine whether or not CHUBB is legally obligated to pay insurance claims for thousands of child sexual abuse survivors in cases involving the Archdiocese. The outcome of the case puts $1 billion in Child Victims Act (CVA) claims at risk for survivors, and could have far broader implications for CVA survivors across the state, deciding whether insurance carriers will be able to evade contractual obligations to their policyholders in sex abuse cases. Stephen Jimenez, an advocate and child sexual abuse survivor who fought for the passage of the CVA, sat in on today’s hearing to send a message to CHUBB that survivors won’t be intimidated by CHUBB’s aggressive tactics.
In their lawsuit, Chubb claims they don’t have responsibility for a single insurance obligation in any CVA cases involving the Archdiocese – part of a national and statewide insurance strategy to delay and deny claims in child sexual abuse cases. While this lawsuit is related to CHUBB specifically, this issue impacts all New York survivors dealing with insurers who are delaying or unwilling to pay claims.
“In their lust for profits, CHUBB is heaping further injury on child sexual abuse survivors,” said Stephen Jimenez, an advocate and child sexual abuse survivor who fought for passage of the CVA. “CHUBB’s position is morally obscene – collecting billions in profits and padding their bonuses by denying claims for thousands of child sexual abuse survivors. We’ve fought too long for justice to see billion-dollar insurers stand in the way – survivors won’t be intimidated by CHUBB’s aggressive tactics.”
“CHUBB has made its values clear time after time – to collect every dollar they can, no matter how much child sexual abuse survivors have to suffer,” said David Catalfamo, Executive Director of the CJCC. “We will not stand by and allow CHUBB to continue to line their pockets by cheating their way out of their obligations to survivors. It’s past time for regulators in Albany to wake up and do their jobs – investigate CHUBB and make sure they can’t continue to deny justice for thousands of child sexual abuse survivors.”
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The Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation (“CJCC”) is an independent alliance of survivors of child sex abuse, their representatives, and advocates seeking full restitution for survivors of child sex abuse. Among members of the coalition are attorneys James Marsh, Founding Partner at Marsh Law Firm, Jeff Herman, Founder of Herman Law Firm, and Hillary Nappi, Partner at Hach Rose Schirripa & Cheverie, who represent thousands of sexual abuse survivors in litigation against public and private entities.