City lawyers have agreed to pay nearly $5.2 million to settle lawsuits brought by the families of two men who died from methadone overdoses while jail staff ignored them on Rikers Island.
The settlements come amid a sharp rise in claims and a dramatic spike in taxpayer-funded payouts by the Department of Correction.
In fiscal year 2024, the city logged 7,254 claims, up from 4,580 the previous year and eclipsing prior highs, according to data from the city comptroller’s office. Payouts ballooned to about $254 million, up from roughly $43 million in 2023. The reasons for the massive increase weren’t clear…