Victims Compensation Fund (VCF) and 9/11 First Responder Claims
The White Plains injury attorneys at Worby Vecchio Edelman were lead counsel in the recently concluded 9/11 first responders and rescue workers litigation. Our firm represented nearly 10,000 victims injured from their participation in the Ground Zero rescue and clean-up operations. Following that epic litigation experience, we are continuing our efforts in this area, with our representation of clients with claims under the Zadroga Act.
Some Background on the Zadroga Act
In early 2011, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 was signed into law. The Act is named for James Zadroga, a New York City detective who died in 2006. Detective Zadroga was the first member of the NYPD whose death was directly attributed to exposure to toxic chemicals and dust at the site of the attacks. While the law has reached its original expiration date, it has recently been reauthorized, which means that claims can still be brought.
Extended Registration Deadlines for 9/11 First Responders
The Zadroga Act reopened the original Victim’s Compensation Fund (VCF) for World Trade Center victims, and provided a method for medical monitoring for First Responders. As this column is being prepared, the Fund is not yet really “open for business”. The Special Master of the Fund is charged with writing regulations to administer the Fund; those regulations are due no later than June 15, 2016. While a claim cannot be submitted until the Final Regulations are enacted, claimants can nevertheless register with the VCF now. The reauthorization of the VCF extended registration deadlines for many diseases diagnosed after 2011.
Compensation can be obtained for various types of cancers, for certain non-cancerous conditions, and for death, if there is proof that the death was caused by a 9/11-related condition. The deadline dates to file with the VCF vary depending upon the specific illness, as well as the date of diagnosis, and the specific circumstances of your particular case. Our firm is experienced in the area, and we would be happy to represent you before the VCF.
Victims Compensation Fund
The VCF provides a definition for “Responder”; to be eligible, you must provide proof of your presence in the “NYC Exposure Zone” (another defined term), or your presence at the Pentagon site, or in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The provisions and definitions for who can and cannot collect pursuant to the Zadroga Act; who is and is not a “First Responder”; and who was in the “NYC Exposure Zone” are complex, and can be confusing.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were a seminal event; all of us will remember where we were, and what we were doing when we first heard news of the horrific nature of the events. The day was a national tragedy which will surely be memorialized throughout the coming generations. First Responders were and still remain American heroes, who risked their health and their very lives to assist in the clean-up operations. Our firm was lead counsel in the original WTC litigation, representing First Responders in the Federal Court lawsuit, and we are continuing our representation before the VCF
Contact Us With Any Questions
Contact the personal injury attorneys at Worby Vecchio Edelman with any and all questions if you or a loved one were a First Responder, and have suffered what you believe is a medical condition related in any way to your efforts. We’ll explain the entire process to you, answer your questions, and make sure that your claim is filed in a timely manner. Our fees are contingent, so there are no up-front charges at all. There are no hourly charges, and no fees of any kind unless we recover money on your claim.
