IN THE NEWS - Staten Island Advance: Insurance and legal help for Staten Islanders hit by Sandy

By Jillian Jorgensen/Staten Island Advance on December 03, 2012 at 2:49 PM STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Staten Islanders in need of free insurance assistance in the wake of Hurricane Sandy can get help Wednesday at state Sen. Andrew Lanza's hurricane relief headquarters. Lanza (R-Staten Island) will host the Department of Financial Services at his headquarters to help homeowners, renters and business owners with insurance-related issues that have cropped up after the storm. Representatives from the department can help people contact their insurance companies if they haven't been able to reach them, and can answer questions about homeowners', renters' and business owners' insurance coverage, according to Lanza's office. The representatives will be meeting with people outside their Mobile Command Center, which will be stationed at Lanza's headquarters, 4212 Hylan Boulevard, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents who can't make it Wednesday can call the Department of Financial Services storm hotline at 800-339-1759 anytime for help with insurance problems. They can also log on to www.dfs.ny.gov. The New York Legal Assistance Group's Mobile Legal Help Center will also be on hand Wednesday. The group's staff has been trained on FEMA benefits and related legal issues, Lanza's office said, to help handle storm-related legal matters. They'll be at Lanza's headquarters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The legal team will be back again on Friday Dec. 14, at 2271 Hylan Boulevard, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Space is limited. To get more information or make an appointment, call Lanza's office at 718-984-4073. The legal aid disaster relief team can assist with FEMA claims, including appealing denied claims, consumer matters including bankruptcies and credit issues, accessing and continuing public benefits like food stamps or Medicare/Medicaid, family law issues, housing issues, immigration issues, employment issues and more. Those in need of help can also call NYLAG's hotline at 212-584-3365 or email StormHelp@nylag.org. http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/insurance_and_legal_help_for_s.html