Author Archives: Michael Barasch
Filing a WTC Claim on Behalf of a Deceased Victim
Shortly after the devastating September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), the legislature created the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). That Fund, closed in 2004, provided about $7 billion in compensation to people injured during the attacks and to spouses, parents and children who lost loved ones during or immediately after the […]
Your WTC Claim: Make Sure It’s Done Right
In January of this year, initial payments were made to 15 claimants from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The recipients were all first responders currently experiencing respiratory problems. Depending upon the ultimate number of Fund claimants, payout figures may range from $10,000 to $1.5 million. If you registered with the VCF and filed […]
File Your Claim for WTC-Related Illness Now
If you or a loved one were present on a World Trade Center (WTC) crash or clean-up site after the 2001 terrorist attacks and suffered injury or subsequent illness, you may be eligible for compensation. With the filing deadline of October 3, 2013 rapidly approaching, the time to act on your claim is now. When […]
No Surprise Here: 9/11 Responders at Higher Risk for Cancer
Cancer rates are 15 percent higher in 9/11 responders than in the general population, according to a recent Mount Sinai Hospital’s World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) report. Epidemiologists examined data collected from 20,984 participants between 2001 and 2008, finding 575 cases of cancer instead of the expected 499. Thyroid, prostate and blood cancers (like […]
Registration Deadline Imminent for 9/11 VCF Benefits
People exposed to toxins from the September 11 terror attacks must register for benefits by October 13, 2013 — or lose them. The Zadroga Act reopened the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) to provide for respondents not covered by the first fund. Unfortunately, those who miss the October 13 deadline automatically lose their rights […]
9/11 Environmental Toxins and Cancer Risk
There are ways to reduce your cancer risk. Quit smoking. Eat healthy. Use sun screen. We take it for granted that exposure to certain chemicals or energy sources can trigger the proliferation of cancerous cells in the body. However, scientists are often reluctant to make claims about particular causes of cancer. For instance, a report […]
9/11 Respiratory Diseases Widespread and Chronic
Within months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, many first responders began experiencing hard coughing, followed by a loss of breath. This coughing caused throat irritation. Another related symptom was acid reflux, or heartburn. World Trade Center (WTC) cough was the first 9/11-related injury to be recognized. This was only one of the chronic, debilitating […]
Elevated Rates of Post-9/11 Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
The immune system has many responses to something it identifies as potentially harmful to the body, including inflammatory responses. When inflammatory cells do not disperse, small clumps, called granulomas, can develop in many tissues in the body, but is most prevalent in the lungs. Symptoms of pulmonary sarcoidosis include coughing and shortness of breath. If […]
How to Prove Presence at a 9/11 Crash Site
To qualify for compensation through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), you must demonstrate both a covered physical illness or injury and that you were present at the crash sites, in a defined area of Lower Manhattan surrounding the World Trade Center, or along one of the routes taken by the debris from WTC. […]
Frequently Asked Questions About the Zadroga Act and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
What did the James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act of 2010 do? The Zadroga Act did two main things: it created the World Trade Center Health Program, consolidating and expanding several programs already in place, and it reopened the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) to people injured before May 30, 2002 who did not […]
