9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

For several years, the news has been filled with stories about medical problems linked to breathing the contaminated air around the World Trade Center site following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The reauthorization of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund has put the spotlight on heroes who died prematurely due to respiratory illness, prostate cancer and […]

Less than two years before the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks, scientists and healthcare providers still have many lingering questions about the effects on those who reported to the scene and participated in the months-long recovery effort. Higher cancer rates have been reported among the first responders who served […]

After years of worry that the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund might expire, New Yorkers and people from around the country celebrated the law that authorized its extension through the year 2090. The new law and its updated, strengthened provisions would not have come without the efforts of many dedicated advocates, some of whom are […]

This January marks the fifteenth anniversary of the death of NYPD Detective James Zadroga, a 9/11 hero and a Barasch & McGarry client. Zadroga tragically died of respiratory and digestive disease. But his death and autopsy were the evidence Congress needed to  demonstrate the deadly health consequences of exposure to Ground Zero toxins. Zadroga’s death […]

Officially known as “The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Compensation Fund Act,” a widely hailed new law has provided a measure of relief to current and future victims of 9/11-related conditions. Under the old rule, all Victim Compensation Fund claims had to be filed […]

When Congress voted to reauthorize the Zadroga Act, it charged the U.S. Department of Justice with the task of writing regulations for its implementation and assigned statutory deadlines for completion. The Attorney General selected Sheila Birnbaum to serve as Special Master for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, overseeing its implementation. At Barasch & McGarry, […]