May 1, 2024
Contact: press@justice4survivors.com, (203)641-6681
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Advocate, Journalist, & Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Stephen Jimenez Pens Op-ed in New York Daily News Calling for State Attorney General Investigation into CHUBB Insurance for Denying Child Victims Act Claims
New York – In a New York Daily News Op-ed this morning, advocate, award-winning journalist, and survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Stephen Jimenez called for the New York State Attorney General to investigate CHUBB – the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer. In the piece Jimenez argues that “If CHUBB refuses to comply with the CVA, it’s time for the state attorney general to hold them accountable.”
For months, survivors of child sex abuse, their representatives, and advocates have been raising the alarm around brazen attempts by the insurance industry to deny coverage for Child Victims Act (CVA) claims. Right now, CHUBB is claiming in court that they don’t owe a responsibility for a single insurance obligation in CVA cases involving the Archdiocese of New York – part of a national and statewide insurance strategy to delay and deny claims in child sexual abuse cases. The outcome of the case could tie CVA claims up in courts for years, risking the possibility of childhood sexual abuse survivors – many well into their 80’s – dying before they see restitution.
The full op-ed is available HERE and excerpts below:
‘THE CHURCH, THE INSURERS & TRAGEDY WITHOUT END’
“To the horror of survivors (myself included), especially those assaulted in the New York Archdiocese, CHUBB is exploiting victims further by suing to make a blanket denial of payment for any possible claim against the Archdiocese before a single case has even been adjudicated. The appellate division of the New York Supreme Court has allowed CHUBB’s case to move forward — putting CVA claims for thousands of survivors at risk.
CHUBB’s CEO, Evan Greenberg, and board of directors believe it’s perfectly legal and moral to protect their billions in profits by refusing to recognize the claims of victims, yet have no qualms about providing a lifeline to a former president found liable for sexually assaulting a woman in a dressing room. This, too, is an old story of what happens when the world’s most powerful institutions are allowed to operate without accountability.”
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“If insurers like CHUBB refuse to comply with the CVA, then it’s time for the state attorney general to step in with an investigation to hold them accountable. Survivors aren’t getting any younger — and the insurance industry knows that every year they waste in court, more of us will die — meaning less claims to pay out in the future.”
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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.