NEW YORK, NY August 24, 2007 —Last year only 24,155 claims were filed against the City of New York. That's a 10 year low, according to to City Comptroller William Thompson. Last year, the city paid out a total of $496.4 million. The previous year's total was $529.8 million.

Personal injury claims took up a majority of the cash, from sidewalk falls to medical malpractice at municipal hospitals. The rest of the money went to property damage or legal dispute lawsuits. Also in Thompson's audit - Manhattan is the borough with the highest payouts, while Staten Island has the lowest.