A federal magistrate in New York has ordered insurance companies to release thousands of documents detailing denials of Sandy flood claims.
U.S. District Court Magistrate Gary Brown issued the order Nov. 7, according to Newsday. He ordered any insurance companies being sued over Sandy claims to release all materials within 30 days
Brown said in his order that an engineering firm hired by one of the nation's largest flood insurance companies secretly rewrote a report about a damaged house in Long Beach.
The report said rather than being damaged by the 2012 storm, the house suffered from gradual long-term deterioration.
Brown said it appears the "unprincipled practices may be widespread."
An attorney for the engineering firm, U.S. Forensic, told The Associated Press the company disagrees with Brown's characterization.
