Insurer, New York Town Fight Over Indemnity Settlement

A legal dispute between the New York town of Amherst and its insurer has been elevated to the state Supreme Court. The subject of the dispute is the $3.13 million remainder of an indemnity paid as settlement when a contractor fell from a building owned by the town of Amherst. According to a report by The Buffalo News, the town and its insurance provider Granite State Insurance jointly funded the $23.4 million settlement awarded to the contractor after he won a personal injury judgment against the town. The insurer fielded $10 million, while the town paid the rest. The two then jointly pursued an indemnity claim against the roofing contractor’s insurer, State Insurance Fund, which paid them $31 million.