Every election cycle, the opposing candidates claim that they will “end avoidable” lawsuits and that “mishandling of lawsuits costs the city millions of dollars.” The residents of the City of Derby must know that before any lawsuit is resolved, the Board of Aldermen is well informed of the matter.
A lawsuit against the City is settled or not settled by resolution of the Board of Aldermen. One of the many duties required of the Aldermen is to make informed, sometimes difficult decisions to resolve legal claims or to continue to trial on the matter.
There are a number of claims that are made against every city in Connecticut on a monthly basis from sidewalk falls, property damage, worker’s compensation, and billings. Every claim made against the City of Derby goes through a detailed process to determine validity and insurance coverage. If the claim is deemed to be valid and is covered by our insurance policy, the insurance carrier handles the matter.
In the event that a claim lacks validity or insurance coverage, the city attorney handles the matter to completion. Each party to a claim is given the opportunity to resolve the matter. However, the Board of Aldermen as the “gatekeepers”, will not resolve a matter just for the sake of being threatened. The “floodgates” would then be opened for others to make false claims in the effort to get a quick settlement.
Rest assured, the Aldermen are here to protect the interest of the City of Derby and its residents by effectively defending or resolving claims.
The writer is a Republican seeking re-election to the Board of Aldermen in the Third War.
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