Firefighters, Police, & EMS

Leading the Fight for 9/11 Emergency Workers

An estimated 40,000 people spent countless hours in the months following the September 11^th  terror attacks combing through the rubble amid acrid smoke and polluted air. The overwhelming majority of the searchers were firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians hoping at first to find survivors and later to recover the missing in order to bring closure to families.

For many emergency workers, their dedication at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA is being tarnished years later with illness and more heartbreak. Toxic dust at the site continues to cause severe post-9/11 illnesses. Emergency personnel turn to our New York law firm, Barasch & McGarry, for help obtaining appropriate medical care and compensation from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) and World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). Our law firm devotes its practice to helping clients navigate these complicated processes so they get the help and full compensation they deserve.

I want to personally thank you and your whole law firm collectively for the unwavering devotion and professionalism to not only me, but the entire fire dept. family. The compassion and deep concerns I experienced by each and every one of your staff can not measure my sincere appreciation. It rivals the dedication we have of honor and duty.

P.O
Retired Firefighter & 9/11 Responder

Emergency Workers Risk of Severe Lung Disease

Breathing disorders were evident almost immediately and were the first sign that work at the site might be hazardous. For emergency workers who were vulnerable to lung problems — smokers, asthmatics, and others — the dust caused reduced lung function that they could not overcome. Usually, healthy lungs rebound rather quickly from an onslaught, but people who were at risk and those with the greatest exposure continue to suffer and die.

The Zadroga Act initially concentrated on helping victims with respiratory illnesses. The Act was named for James Zadroga, an NYPD Detective and our client who died of respiratory ailments in 2006. The Act provides medical care through the WTC Health Program and compensation from the Victim Compensation Fund for a new occurrence or aggravation of pre-existing conditions due to WTC work exposure.

Covered lung conditions include:

• Asthma
• Chronic Rhinosinusitis
• Chronic Respiratory Disorder
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• And many more

69 Cancers Linked to WTC Toxins

In response to countless studies demonstrating that responders to the terrorist attacks have higher-than-normal incidence of many types of cancer, the Zadroga Act added coverage for 69 different cancers caused by 9/11. These include: Prostate, Lung, Skin, Blood, Colon, and many other cancers.

As longtime advocates for FDNY firefighters and rescue personnel, we have pursued cases and lawsuits on their behalf outside the 9/11 arena. Today, our practice is devoted to these heroes who have been afflicted by 9/11 related illnesses related to their rescue efforts. We help police, firefighters, and EMS personnel obtain appropriate treatment and get financial help for themselves and their families.

Deadline To Register For 9/11 VCF Has Been Extended

Deadlines to register VCF claims are approaching. If you or anyone you know had cancer or lost a family member, reach out to us to register for compensation quickly.

If you are a firefighter, police officer, or EMS worker who was exposed to the toxic air on 9/11 or in the 8 months that followed, but have not had your medical condition linked to 9/11, you also still have time to apply for significant compensation. The deadline to apply to the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) is two years from the date that your cancer or illness has been certified by the WTC Health Program. The two-year period to register doesn’t start on the day of diagnosis. Rather, it starts only when a victim is made aware their condition was linked to exposure to the WTC toxins.

For those closely related to a first-responder; firefighter, police officer, or EMS worker who died from a WTC-related cancer, your family has two years from the date of death to register. Please be sure to register and help spread the word about the strict two-year deadline to register a claim.

Many people have tried to complete the VCF application on their own, only to learn that it requires answers to hundreds of questions and many documents to download. It would be our pleasure to help you complete the process in order to ensure that you receive the compensation that you are entitled to. Please contact us for a free consultation.