Victims Compensation Fund

As hundreds of new claims pour into the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund each month, the total number of people seeking eligibility now exceeds 50,000. Approximately half of these applicants have had their claims approved. The July 29, 2019 signing of the Never Forget the Heroes Act  permanently authorized the VCF and brought new attention to […]

The Staten Island Advance has published a scathing editorial criticizing hypocritical politicians for failing to support the extension of the Zadroga Act.  With so many first responders and local residents diagnosed with life-threatening cancers that have been linked to the toxic World Trade Center dust, it is a disgrace that Congress hasn’t done the right […]

Presumptively covered conditions are those that have been definitely linked to 9/11. Generally, the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) covers only injuries and diseases on this list. However, the VCF amends its list periodically. For example, the VCF amended its list to include several types of cancer in October 2012, added prostate cancer in October 2013 […]

To be eligible for 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund benefits, you must prove that you were present during or immediately after the terrorist attack. If you are applying for loss of your loved one, you must prove that she or he was present and died as a result of 9/11-related injuries or disease. Proof of presence […]

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 […]

Tragically, many children were victims of the World Trade Center collapse, Pentagon attack and plane crash at Shanksville. Some lost parents either during the attacks or in later years as a result of 9/11-related diseases. Others who lived or attended school in lower Manhattan sustained physical injuries or illnesses. In fact, children exposed to the […]