By Kenneth C. Crowe II
Times Union
TROY — Rensselaer County is preparing to possibly sue its insurance carrier to force it to cover the costs associated with a pending civil rights lawsuit filed by two current and one former county corrections officers.
The county is taking the action after its insurer, Argo Trident, refused to cover the county, Sheriff Jack Mahar and three employees named in the lawsuit, said County Attorney Stephen Pechenik.
The federal lawsuit filed in September in U.S. District Court by Keith Hancock, a former jail officer, and jail officers Jason Dessingue and Tamera Thomas claims their medical records were illegally accessed at the jail.
In addition to the county and Mahar, James Karam, who was head of the Rensselaer County Jail’s internal affairs unit; Elaine Young, a former jail nurse; and Anthony Patricelli, a sergeant, are named in the lawsuit.
The county Legislature is slated to vote Tuesday night on two related legal matters.
The legislators will be asked to approve hiring the law firm Carter, Conboy, Case, Blackmore, Maloney & Laird at a cost of up to $40,000 to handle the lawsuit filed by Hancock, Thomas and Dessingue.
The legislators also will consider hiring Whiteman Osterman & Hanna for up to $50,000 to pursue getting the insurance company to cover the county’s expenses in the Hancock, Thomas and Dessingue lawsuit.