The terrorist attack known as “9/11” is a day Americans will never forget, and, now, over 17 years later, people are still suffering physically and psychologically from the attacks that took so many lives and left thousands of others with long-term injuries, scars, disease, and mental health issues.
Countless families have suffered financially because the primary earner in the family died or became too ill to work in the months and years after 9/11. If you lived or worked in or near New York City, Washington, D.C., or Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and have been ill due to exposure to dangerous substances or debris at these attack/rescue/cleanup sites, you may be entitled to compensation.
The Zadroga Act and the Victim Compensation Fund
The James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act was signed into law in early 2011 by then President Barack Obama and established the World Trade Center Health Program to ensure that people exposed to the 9/11 disaster continue to receive monitoring and treatment services for related health problems through the year 2090.
The WTC Health Program consists of a Responder Program, which is for rescue and recovery workers and a Survivor Program for those who lived, worked, or attended school in lower Manhattan at the time of the attack in New York. Services are also available for responders to the D.C. and Shanksville, PA sites. Eligible people can receive services regardless of where they currently live in the United States.
Since the Zadroga Act was signed into law, the Victim Compensation Fund has awarded over $1.8 billion to individuals and families affected by 9/11. People eligible for receiving compensation from the Victim Compensation Fund include:
- Residents, workers, and students in Lower Manhattan at that time
- First responders to any of the three locations
- Construction and sanitation workers
- Crash site volunteers
You May Be Eligible
If you believe you may be eligible for a Zadroga claim and need legal assistance through this complex process, please don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are many people who contributed to the rescue, recovery, and cleanup at the three sites that may not even realize they’re entitled to compensation.
For example, did you realize that barge workers removing debris from Lower Manhattan may qualify for financial compensation? If you were working at a landfill near any of the attack sites you may qualify for compensation for resulting illness you’ve suffered since then. If you’re the personal representative of someone who died as a result of the attack on the World Trade Center or the Pentagon, you may qualify for compensation.
There are numerous illnesses that have resulted from exposure to the air and debris from the attack sites, including these just to name a few:
- Lung and airway disease
- Asthma
- COPD
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Lung, thyroid, skin, eye, breast, and many other types of cancer (even very rare cancers)
- Mesothelioma
- Respiratory illness
You may qualify for compensation to cover loss of earnings, pain and suffering, out-of-pocket medical expenses, and household-related services you’re not longer able to perform. You may be facing a lifetime of illness and medical expenses due to your exposure on 9/11, and you may need the help of an experienced post 9/11 illness attorney to get you compensation to cover those expenses.
Please contact an attorney who specializes in 9/11 compensation claims.
