(b) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, the social services official shall have the right to serve and file by certified or registered mail, within five days after receipt of such notice, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, an amended notice of lien to include the amount of public assistance and care furnished to the recipient after the date such official served and filed the notice of lien or the last previous amendment thereof.

(c) A person, firm, corporation or insurance carrier that fails to give the notice required by paragraph (a) of this subdivision shall be liable to the social services official to the same extent that it would have been liable had such notice been given and the social services official had filed the amended notice of lien provided for in paragraph (b) of this subdivision. 6. Such lien may be enforced by action against those alleged to be liable for such injuries, as aforesaid, by the local public welfare official in any court of appropriate jurisdiction. 7. The aforesaid lien shall be valid and effective, when the notice thereof and the statement are served and filed as aforesaid, and shall continue until released and discharged by the local public welfare official by an instrument in writing and filed in the said county clerk's office, and no release, payment, discharge or satisfaction of any such claim, demand, right of action, suit or counterclaim shall be valid or effective against such lien. 8. The county clerk shall, at the expense of the county, provide a suitable book with proper index, to be called the public welfare lien docket, in which he shall enter the names of the public welfare official and the recipient, the date and place of the accident and the name or names of those alleged to be liable for such injuries, as aforesaid. 9. The provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the lien herein created shall be subject and subordinate to the lien on the amount recovered by verdict, report, decision, judgment, award or decree, settlement or compromise, of any attorney or attorneys retained by any such injured person to prosecute his claim for damages for personal injuries, having or acquiring by virtue of such retainer a lien on the cause of action of any such injured person, or on the verdict, report, decision, judgment, decree made in, or any settlement or compromise of, any such action or claim for damages for personal injuries. 10. The provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the lien herein created shall be subordinate to the lien of any hospital claimed under and to the extent recognized by section one hundred eighty-nine of the lien law, but only for treatment, care and maintenance given, prior to or in excess of the public assistance and care granted by the public welfare official. 11. The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to adversely affect the right of a public welfare official who has taken an assignment of the proceeds of any such right of action, suit, claim, counterclaim or demand, to recover under such assignment the total amount of assistance and care for which such assignment was made. 12. The provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the lien herein created shall not apply with respect to any claim or benefits payable to the recipients of any form of public assistance or care, part of which is paid for by the government of the United States or any agency thereof when, in the opinion of the commissioner, such lien would jeopardize the continuation of such federal contribution. 13. The provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the public welfare official may in his discretion release to the injured person an amount not to exceed the cost of two years' maintenance from the lien herein created. 14. Any inconsistent provision of this chapter or of any other law notwithstanding, a social services official may not assert any claim under any provision of this chapter to recover payments of public assistance if such payments were reimbursed by child support collections. This section shall not apply to any claim or award which is or may be allowed pursuant to the provisions of the workers' compensation law or the volunteer firefighters' benefit law.