Victim Compensation Fund

Beginning in January, 2014, Special Master Sheila Birnbaum and the Deputy Special Master presided over the first Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) appeals hearings held in New York City. The specially trained and recruited Hearing Officers joined them, conducting both in-person and telephone conference hearings. According to the VCF press release, those overseeing the hearings have […]

In January of this year, the first September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) appeal hearings were held in New York City. Rulings on claims and appeals hearings are finally underway.  For victims of 9/11, the wait for compensation has been trying. After filing a claim and required documentation, many victims have waited years for their […]

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry tracks the health of more than 71,000 people exposed to the WTC terrorist attacks. What are the goals of the registry and what have we learned so far?  Patient registries are databases that follow the health of a defined group of patients over time. Registries help healthcare providers, […]

The September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was created to provide compensation to people injured and killed because of the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001. By law, operation of the VCF requires a Special Master to administer the fund.  In 2011, Sheila Birnbaum was appointed by United States Attorney General Eric Holder […]

The expansion of VCF claim eligibility to victims of various cancers is a victory for first responders, rescue workers, cleanup workers and others who braved the aftermath of 9/11 to help pick up the pieces. However, the increase in size of the pool of potential claimants also raises questions about whether the $2.775 billion allocated […]

One of the primary purposes of the James Zadroga Act and the new Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was to extend coverage beyond those who suffered immediate injuries in the wake of 9/11—and to account for the increasing number of first responders, rescue workers and others who were still being diagnosed with cancers and other chronic […]