Saying they were provoked by insurer resistance to paying claims from the destruction of the World Trade Center, two legislators have introduced bipartisan legislation that would permit New York insureds to sue carriers for bad faith.

In announcing the introduction of their bill, which was filed Monday, State Sen. Frank Padavan, R-Queens, and Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat, D-Manhattan, noted that New York policyholders currently do not have the right to sue their insurers for violating the insurance laws, and New York common law does not recognize a claim for bad faith against an insurer that wrongfully refuses to pay claims.

The legislators' statement cited the prolonged insurance disputes over World Trade Center claims as evidence that insurance companies "too often try to avoid their responsibilities rather than live up to their promises."

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