N.Y. PBS Law § 93

§ 93. Liability for loss or damage caused by violation of this\nchapter. In case any telegraph corporation or telephone corporation\nshall do or cause to be done or permit to be done any act, matter or\nthing prohibited, forbidden or declared to be unlawful, or shall omit to\ndo any act, matter or other thing required to be done, either by law of\nthe state of New York by this chapter or by any order of the commission,\nsuch telegraph corporation or telephone corporation shall be liable to\nthe person or corporation affected thereby for all loss, damage or\ninjury caused thereby or resulting therefrom and in case of recovery if\nthe court shall find that such act or omission was willful it may in its\ndiscretion fix a reasonable counsel or attorney's fee, which fee shall\nbe taxed and collected as a part of the costs in the action. An action\nto recover for such loss, damage or injury may be brought in any court\nof competent jurisdiction by any such person or corporation.\n