N.Y. Insurance Law § 2704: Rights of action

§ 2704. Rights of action. (a) Notwithstanding any law or agreement

among the parties to an insurance policy to the contrary, any action

arising from an occurrence during the period between January first,

nineteen hundred twenty-nine and December thirty-first, nineteen hundred

forty-five brought by a Holocaust victim seeking proceeds of an

insurance policy issued to or covering the life or property of a

Holocaust victim prior to December thirty-first, nineteen hundred

forty-five, shall not be dismissed for failure to comply with any

statute of limitations or laches or other similar provision of any

applicable law relating to the timeliness of the filing of claims that

might prevent a claim from being heard on its merits, or any notice

requirements imposed by any insurance policy provided the action is

commenced within ten years from the effective date of this article.

(b) With respect to any action arising from an occurrence during the

period between January first, nineteen hundred twenty-nine and December

thirty-first, nineteen hundred forty-five brought by a Holocaust victim

seeking proceeds of an insurance policy issued to or covering the life

or property of a Holocaust victim prior to December thirty-first,

nineteen hundred forty-five no such action shall be stayed or dismissed

pursuant to rule three hundred twenty-seven of the civil practice law

and rules.

(c) In recognition of the significant period of time that has passed

and in order to effect the goals of substantial justice, the rules

regarding the admissibility of evidence, including but not limited to

rule forty-five hundred eighteen and section forty-five hundred nineteen

of the civil practice law and rules, and principles of law or other

rules relating to the admission of hearsay evidence shall be relaxed at

the discretion of the trial judge in any action or proceeding authorized

by this section.