In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, many residents, workers, first responders and volunteers suffered serious injuries. In the years since, more still have been affected by harmful materials and toxins from Ground Zero, some of which can even cause cancer.

There is a 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund that has been established to help compensate victims of the attack, including those affected by harmful Ground Zero toxins. If you have been diagnosed with cancer and were near Ground Zero in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, you may qualify for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund

After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund was created to provide compensation for those harmed by cancer-causing toxins from the terrorist attacks. Initially, the fund was used to help those with immediate injuries. Since then, it has been expanded to help compensate other serious health problems that have surfaced since the attacks, including cancers caused by exposure to dangerous toxins at or around Ground Zero. Firefighters, first responders, and many more continue to suffer—and die from—illnesses caused by this exposure in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

According to researchers, the air at and around Ground Zero in the wake of the 9/11 attacks included a mix of aluminum, asbestos, glass, and burned jet fuel, any of which can cause serious problems, including lung disease, asthma, and cancer.

A new monument on Long Island has been created in honor of those who have lost their lives because of the 9/11 attacks, including the nearly 3,000 who died that day and those who have died from related illnesses in the years since. Tens of thousands of responders worked at Ground Zero in the weeks following the attacks and are at risk of developing diseases from the exposure to harmful toxins.

The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund was re-opened to offer help to those injured in the 9/11 attacks and their families. An individual plaintiff may receive hundreds of thousands of dollars from the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund or, in some case, up to millions. Cash awards from the fund are tax-free, and can help compensate pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses, and more. Some may even be eligible to receive free medical care for life. There is also compensation for wrongful death.

Those eligible for the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund lived, worked, or were near Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attacks, sometime between Sept. 11, 2001 and May 31, 2002, and were later diagnosed with any of over 70 types of cancer. Cancer diagnoses must have been made at least four years after the exposure, except for blood and bone cancers, which must have been diagnosed at least one year after the exposure.

The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund has received 28,609 eligibility forms so far, and some 16,942 have been approved, while thousands more are still being processed.

Eligibility for the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund

Those diagnosed with one of dozens of different cancers in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks may be eligible for compensation from the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. These cancers include lung cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, leukemia, brain cancer, sarcoma, and many others. A full list of these cancer types is available on our investigation page.

If you or someone you love was diagnosed with cancer in the years following exposure to Ground Zero in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, you may be eligible for compensation from the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund.