vcf appeals

Since 2001, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has awarded more than $2 billion to Barasch & McGarry clients who were in Lower Manhattan or near the Pentagon following 9/11. Both first responders and survivors (including Lower Manhattan office workers, teachers, students, and residents) who were exposed to Ground Zero toxins and have been […]

The recently enacted extension of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund helps not only individuals who have yet to file a claim but also those who were previously denied due to late filings.  Under the previous rules, family members of people who died of a Ground Zero-related illness had only two years from the date of […]

The VCF hearing process has been largely uncharted territory, owing in part to the fact that the Zadroga Act did not provide any detailed guidelines for adjudicating contested VCF eligibility and compensation decisions. Indeed, the first such hearings have only taken place within the last year. However, consistent with the purpose of the Act, the […]

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 […]