For the fourth year in a row, Gov. Kathy Hochul has vetoed the “Grieving Families Act,” also known as the “Wrongful Death” bill. The proposal would significantly expand the types of damages families could recover after a wrongful death, adding broad noneconomic categories such as grief, emotional anguish, and loss of companionship.
The Governor’s veto message emphasized affordability concerns, warning that the measure would sharply increase claim costs and, as a result, drive up insurance premiums for patients and consumers across New York.
In a letter urging the veto, Big I New York noted that the cost of these expanded awards would ultimately fall on policyholders and the public through higher premiums, reduced availability of affordable coverage, and increased taxpayer burden. The letter also pointed out that current law already allows families to recover the full value of economic damages—such as medical expenses, loss of support, and loss of future inheritance—as well as damages for the victim’s pain and suffering.