WTC Victims Compensation Fund

911 Victim's Compensation Fund Now Taking Applications.

The federal government's September 11th Victim Compensation Fund are now taking applications from people who believe they were physically harmed by the terrorist attacks and who are seeking financial compensation.

The fund is intended to help people who became ill after working at ground zero and others whose sicknesses can be tied to the site. Residents, workers and those whose claims to the first fund were denied can now apply.

LINK: Fill Out The Application

New money, specifically $4.2 Billion,  has recently been provided to the compensation program and new claims can still be filed. This Fund will compensate individuals for their injuries. Although the Fund was to be an alternative to filing a traditional law suit, as the legislation is currently written, individuals who have started a lawsuit in federal court or have recently settled the lawsuit, may be able to participate in the fund.

The deadline for applying is Oct. 3, 2013, or two years from the time a person learns that a physical injury or sickness resulted from exposure to ground zero. The program will run for six years.

Some responders may have a hard time filling out the forms without a lawyer. You need to show proof that you were at the site, which could be difficult 10 years later.  If you need help, contact us online or call us at 800-621-2020.

The Zadroga Bill & The World Trade Center Rescue/Recovery Workers Victim Compensation Fund

On December 22, 2010, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was finally passed by U.S. Congress.  The Zadroga Act is a federal law which provides health care, medical monitoring and financial compensation for rescue and recovery workers who helped with the clean up at the World Trade Center.

Ground Zero responders may begin making claims under the Zadroga Act as early as July 2011.  The act calls for providing $1.8 billion over the next five years to monitor and treat injuries related to exposure to the dust and debris at Ground Zero.  The Zagroda Act also sets aside $2.5 billion to reopen the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, which extends the time to file to five years from the date that Special Master (who has not yet been appointed) updates the regulations.

Legal Assistance for Rescue/Recovery Workers

The Zagroda Act provides the necessary medical monitoring and treatment to thousands of people who are now sick as a result of the terrorist attacks on 911 and its subsequent clean-up.

In addition, the Zagroda Act provides an opportunity for many individuals who were either ineligible or became sick after the deadline of the original Victim Compensation Fund, to apply for compensation.

Cellino & Barnes can help you navigate the paperwork and documents necessary to file a claim for compensation with the Fund.

Our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to helping the 9/11 rescue and recovery workers.   If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of rescue and recovery efforts after the 9/11 attacks, we would be honored to help you.  Please call one of our personal injury attorneys at 800-621-2020 .

Reports Show 9/11 Workers Suffer Various Lung Problems

Hundreds of tons of asbestos were released when the Twin Towers fell and many rescue and recovery workers are now suffering the effects of breathing in the contaminated air. 

The researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center did a study of post-9/11 health problems, which concluded almost 70% of workers who helped with the cleanup of the World Trade Center site suffered new or worsened respiratory symptoms.

Approximately 12,000 people were examined and 9,500 of the workers and volunteers who took part in the cleanup of the twin towers, agreed to be part of the study.

"Many who worked at ground zero in the early days after the attacks have sustained serious and lasting health problems as a direct result of their exposure to the environment there," Dennis Charney, the dean for academic and scientific affairs at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said in a statement issued with the report.

"This study scientifically confirms high rates of respiratory problems in a large number of responders - including construction workers, law enforcement officers, utilities workers and public sector workers," he said.

Significant Findings

• Almost 70 percent of rescue and recovery workers developed new or worsened respiratory symptom during or after their time working at Ground Zero.
• Sixty-one percent of people who had no respiratory symptoms developed them while working at the site.
• One-third of the people in the study developed abnormal lung function.
• Responders seen by doctors, who were involved in the study, have suffered from the following:
  • Sinusitis
  • Laryngitis
  • Vocal cord dysfunction;
  • Asthma
  • World Trade Center cough
  • Psychological disorders (post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic depression); and 
  • Musculoskeletal problems

In addition to the findings in this study, we are concerned about the long-term impact asbestos-exposure will have on the thousands of rescue and recovery volunteers. Common illnesses directly related to asbestos-exposure, include mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and more.