AAA® Selected to Administer New York State's Civil Commotion Mediation Program

New York State Department of Financial Services Establishes ADR Initiative to Assist Individuals & Small Business Owners Who Suffered Property Loss or Damage During Recent Protests

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American Arbitration Association

Jul 23, 2020, 08:38 ET

NEW YORK, July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Arbitration Association^® (AAA) announces it has been named the designated administrator of the new Civil Commotion Mediation Program established by the New York State Department of Financial Services. This initiative is a voluntary program for individuals and small business owners with claims against New York-licensed insurers for property loss or damage which occurred during riots or civil commotion throughout New York State.

Linda A. Lacewell, Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services, selected the AAA to administer the Civil Commotion Mediation Program under procedures and standards she has approved. The costs of mediation sessions to resolve disputed insurance claims related to loss of or damage to personal or real property, as well as other liabilities arising from such loss or damage, will be paid by the insurers, with fees based on the assumption that a successful mediation can be completed with a single two-hour session. Due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, mediation sessions will be conducted by videoconference until further notice.

To learn more, or to request a mediation, please visit www.adr.org/nyscivilcommotionmediation.

"We are honored to be able to assist claimants and insurers throughout New York during this extremely challenging time," said Frank Rossi, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the American Arbitration Association. "Additionally, New Yorkers who suffered property loss or damage due to civil unrest are able to quickly resolve their claims remotely, and securely, at this time when in-person mediation is difficult."

Impartial, knowledgeable mediators from a select group of members of the AAA's diverse roster, including mediators from the AAA Commercial Insurance Panel, will be chosen to mediate these claims. This panel of experts is comprised of attorneys specializing in the insurance sector, in addition to former judges and industry executives with insurance-related experience. Panel members are well-versed in many coverage, legal, and technical aspects of insurance, including business interruption and property loss as well as the allocation of loss among multiple insurers.

About the American Arbitration Association
The not-for-profit American Arbitration Association (AAA) is the leading provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services for parties in commercial disputes, having administered more than six million ADR cases since its founding in 1926. With 26 offices in the United States, in addition to Mexico, Singapore, and Bahrain, the AAA provides organizations of all sizes in virtually every industry with ADR services and products. For more information, visit www.adr.org.

About the International Centre for Dispute Resolution
The International Centre for Dispute Resolution^® (ICDR^®) is the international division of the AAA and the largest international provider of dispute resolution services. Established in 1996, the ICDR serves parties from over 99 countries with multilingual staff experienced in international dispute resolution proceedings. 993 international cases were filed with the ICDR in 2018, which offers parties a roster of over 725 arbitrators and mediators. For more information, visit www.icdr.org.

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