NYC agrees to pay for toxic dust ailments from WTC attacks

Authorities with New York City have agreed to a deal that will pay up to $657 million to rescue and recovery workers at ground zero, site of the 9/11 terror attacks.

An Associated Press report in The Guardian states most of the settlement money comes in the form of a $1-billion grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Lawyers who represent more than 10,000 plaintiffs in the case said a judge must first approve the settlement, then it must be agreed to by 95 percent of the claimants. NYC’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, called the settlement “a fair and reasonable resolution to a complex set of circumstances.” He went on to state: "The resolution of the World Trade Center litigation will allow the first responders and workers to be compensated for injuries suffered following their work at Ground Zero." Thousands of construction workers and first responders had filed lawsuits against the city, claiming it had sent them to the attack site without proper protection. The agreement was reached just two months before the trials were set to begin. As a result, the settlement means a postponement or cancellation of those trials. Many of these workers claim they became ill after inhaling toxic-contaminated dust while working at the site. Many more were also seeking damages for various ailments, including cancer. In the settlement, a system ranking illnesses based on severity and potential dust exposure will determine payment amounts. While some workers may receive payments of several thousand dollars, others could receive more than $1m. Marc Bern, a senior partner with the law firm Worby, Groner, Edelman & Napoli, Bern, stated on the firm’s WTC Hero website: “This is a good settlement and we are gratified that these heroic men and women who performed their duties without consideration of the health implications, will finally receive just compensation for their pain and suffering, lost wages, medical and other expenses, as the US Congress intended when it appropriated this money.” He added: “The police officers, fire fighters, electricians, construction workers, volunteers and so many others all played critical roles in helping our city recover after the devastating attack on our country on 9/11 and we owe them a great debt.” The $1-billion insurance fund was created by Congress, and the long-running legal battle has a current bill in excess of $200 million. According to the AP report, up to a third of the settlement will go toward legal fees.