PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Robert Grey, Attorney on No-Fault Insurance Coverage for Taxi and For-Hire Vehicle Drivers
2:36:21
ยท
3 min
Robert Grey, an attorney with 37 years of experience representing injured workers including taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers, testified against lowering no-fault insurance coverage. He emphasized the importance of maintaining current coverage levels and clarified misconceptions about insurance coverage for different types of drivers.
- Grey explained the differences between no-fault insurance, workers' compensation, and liability insurance, highlighting their distinct roles in protecting drivers and passengers.
- He agreed with the Taxi Workers Alliance and TLC that for-hire vehicles require better coverage due to their constant operation.
- Grey warned that lowering coverage limits might not result in savings for drivers, but could lead to "shrinkflation" where premiums remain the same for less coverage.
Robert Grey
2:36:21
Good afternoon.
2:36:23
May it please the council.
2:36:24
My name is Robert Gray.
2:36:26
I am an attorney.
2:36:27
I have spent the past thirty seven years representing, injured workers, including many, medallion taxi drivers and for hire vehicle drivers, as well as, various passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and others who were injured in vehicular accidents in the City Of New York.
2:36:49
It's regrettable that the council has not gotten, a whole lot of accurate information about what covers who and when, in the context of a motor vehicle accident in the City Of New York.
2:37:01
The no fault law protects passengers, pedestrians, livery cab drivers who are generally not covered by workers' compensation, medallion owner operators, and in the event of a medallion driver or a black car driver who has a controverted or a contested workers' compensation case or a disallowed case, it also covers them.
2:37:27
What does not cover black car drivers and medallion drivers, is no fault if they're injured while performing the covered service.
2:37:37
That's the role of workers' compensation, either, from Hereford or from the Black Car Fund.
2:37:44
The so the Black Car Fund coverage to the extent it was pointed to today does not duplicate or overlap no fault coverage.
2:37:52
They're two entirely separate animals.
2:37:55
The other thing that's not really relevant to this conversation is liability insurance, which was pointed to, by some of the witnesses as a a meaningful alternative to no fault.
2:38:06
Liability insurance is a meaningful alternative to no fault if you don't mind waiting three or four or five years with no wage loss payments and no medical coverage before you get, some money to pay those bills.
2:38:19
I am in complete agreement with the taxing and women's union commission.
UNKNOWN
2:38:24
Time has expired.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:38:27
If you wanna just finish your sentence, I felt like you had made sense.
Robert Grey
2:38:30
That that for hire vehicles require better coverage, than typical citizens because the typical citizen is driving to and from some place, whereas a taxi or a for hire vehicle is in
Geoff Berman
2:38:43
constant operation.
UNKNOWN
2:38:43
And I also completely
Robert Grey
2:38:44
agree with the TLC.
2:38:50
Additional, hundred and $50,000 in no fault coverage does not mean the drivers are gonna save a nickel.
2:38:58
What's more likely to happen is simply shrinkflation where the same premium gets charged for lower coverage.
2:39:05
And lastly, with regard to, American Transit being $700,000,000, insolvent, As TLC pointed out, that's not something that occurred overnight.
2:39:16
That's a result of American Transit's poor claim decisions and and overall poor decisions over decades, and it should not be bailed out by removing insurance coverage, for folks who need it.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:39:32
Thank you.
KJ Singh
2:39:33
And the
Robert Grey
2:39:33
last thing I'll just point out based on
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:39:34
my experience If you could just submit the remainder in writing, I'd appreciate it.