New York Independent Livery Drivers Benefit Fund
Steven J. Shanker, Esq. is honored that he has been appointed to be General Counsel for The New York Independent Livery Drivers Benefit Fund On July 26, 2008, Governor Paterson signed legislation that created the Livery Drivers Benefit Fund. The Fund provides Workers' Compensation benefits for serious injuries and crimes committed against drivers dispatched by qualifying independent livery bases. The Livery Fund Law has helped solve a workers’ compensation problem that has spanned three decades. For many years, the livery industry has posed a dilemma for the workers’ compensation system, due to many gray areas associated with the law regarding the livery industry. An important step towards resolving these issues was taken with the enactment of Chapter 392 of the Laws of 2008. That statute allowed livery bases in New York City, Westchester and Nassau Counties, to qualify as “independent” bases if they met certain criteria typically used by the courts to determine independent contractor status. Specifically, the statute stated that independent bases would pay into the Fund which would purchase special coverage that would provide workers’ compensation benefits for the most serious injuries, including those resulting from crimes and deaths.
THE LIVERY ROUNDTABLE, INC.
Steven J. Shanker, Esq. is pleased to announce that he has been appointed to be General Counsel for The Livery Round Table, Inc. This not-for-profit corporation was formally established by members of the Livery/Community Car Service industry in order to pool their resources and address common issues. With 458 Community/ Livery Car bases and over 22,000 affiliated vehicles registered with the NYC TLC, this is the largest segment of the For-Hire-Vehicle (FHV) industry. An avalanche of new legal issues have hit the FHV Industry recently and it has become obvious that the Livery segment of the For Hire industry needed to coordinate its efforts. The purpose of the Livery Round Table is to act as a coordinator for the flow of information, to exchange ideas, explain needs and to assist each other when industry issues present themselves. It is also to be a facilitator and resource center for all groups.
