Author Archives: Michael Barasch
A Matter of Life and Breath: Pulmonary Illnesses after 9/11
Of the disease visited upon a wide swath of New Yorkers and others on and after September 11, 2001, respiratory illnesses account for a large number of chronic medical cases more than a decade later. A 2011 report prepared by the New York Department of Health reads in part: The collapse of the twin towers […]
WTC Tragedy: What the Research Says
The events of September 2001 fueled an individual and collective nightmare that has yet to cease. In loss of life and ongoing illness, the devastation wrought upon the United States is hard to calculate. In ensuing years, new structures have risen from the ashes of the World Trade Center (WTC) site along with an impressive […]
Help is Available: VCF and WTCHP
Two programs provide relief to responders, recovery workers and others injured during the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States or by exposure to debris afterward. These two programs are the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) and the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). Although both programs were established by the same legislation, […]
Added Weight: Burden of Proof
Although it began payout to victims again in January of this year, the World Trade Center September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) will not likely ever be able to fully compensate each victim. While vested with over $2 billion for illness and injury caused in the attack, the number of claims made against that sum […]
Taking Its Toll: Death of a Volunteer
Photographer Adan Gonzalez arrived at the WTC site as a volunteer. He worked to document the effort and support other volunteers and responders on-site. In May of this year, Mr. Gonzalez died of throat cancer he believed was caused by on-site exposure to toxins. Although the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approved […]
Filing a WTC Claim on Behalf of a Deceased Victim
Shortly after the devastating September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), the legislature created the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). That Fund, closed in 2004, provided about $7 billion in compensation to people injured during the attacks and to spouses, parents and children who lost loved ones during or immediately after the […]
Your WTC Claim: Make Sure It’s Done Right
In January of this year, initial payments were made to 15 claimants from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The recipients were all first responders currently experiencing respiratory problems. Depending upon the ultimate number of Fund claimants, payout figures may range from $10,000 to $1.5 million. If you registered with the VCF and filed […]
File Your Claim for WTC-Related Illness Now
If you or a loved one were present on a World Trade Center (WTC) crash or clean-up site after the 2001 terrorist attacks and suffered injury or subsequent illness, you may be eligible for compensation. With the filing deadline of October 3, 2013 rapidly approaching, the time to act on your claim is now. When […]
No Surprise Here: 9/11 Responders at Higher Risk for Cancer
Cancer rates are 15 percent higher in 9/11 responders than in the general population, according to a recent Mount Sinai Hospital’s World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) report. Epidemiologists examined data collected from 20,984 participants between 2001 and 2008, finding 575 cases of cancer instead of the expected 499. Thyroid, prostate and blood cancers (like […]
Registration Deadline Imminent for 9/11 VCF Benefits
People exposed to toxins from the September 11 terror attacks must register for benefits by October 13, 2013 — or lose them. The Zadroga Act reopened the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) to provide for respondents not covered by the first fund. Unfortunately, those who miss the October 13 deadline automatically lose their rights […]
