A federal program is available for those who were near Ground Zero in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 and suffer from WTC related health conditions. Officially known as the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, this program offers payments to qualified applicants who have contracted cancer or other diseases as a result of exposure to toxins released by the collapse of the Twin Towers.

About The Fund

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was enacted by Congress less than two weeks after the 9/11 attacks as part of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act. The purpose of the VCF has been to provide monetary compensation for victims of the attacks or surviving family members. In exchange, beneficiaries have agreed that they will not bring legal action against the airlines involved over security or safety failures.

The establishment of the VCF was overseen by mediation attorney and political activist Kenneth Feinberg, who has also supervised litigation involving Agent Orange and asbestos exposure. Over the course of 33 months, Feinberg worked on a pro-bono basis (without compensation) in order to determine the amount each claimant would receive.

In many ways, this was uncharted legal territory. Under existing statutes, such compensation would normally be based on the amount of money a victim would have earned over the course of a lifetime. However, this would have resulted in approximately 85 percent of available funds being given to 15 percent of those whose lost family members were highly-paid stockbrokers and other financial professionals.

Under an eight-point plan developed by Feinberg himself, a formula was devised to ensure more equitable distribution of the funds. For pain and suffering, Feinberg determined that each claimant would receive a base payment $250,000 for the death of the victim and $100,000 for each surviving family member, regardless of socio-economic or professional status. Purely economic losses were determined on a case-by-case basis.

After approximately 1,600 hearings, 97 percent of claimants or their families received average payments of $1.8 million each.

The Number of Victims Continues to Grow

Although it has been 17 years since the VCF was established, victims continue to come forward. The major reason this is still happening is that many WTC related health conditions take years to become apparent. This is particularly true of several forms of cancer, such as mesothelioma, which is caused by asbestos exposure. Because of this, many people who have yet to manifest symptoms are unaware that they have been affected.

According to a recent news story published in USA Today, approximately 10,000 people who were in the vicinity of Ground Zero on 9/11 have been diagnosed with WTC related health conditions, primarily some form of cancer – and that number is expected to increase in the coming years.

Compensation is Still Available

Those who qualify for compensation from the VCF include – but are not limited to:

• first responders
• rescue workers
• volunteers
• people who resided, were employed or attended school south of Canal Street in Manhattan

If you were present in the vicinity between Sept. 11^, 2001 and May 31, 2002 and have been diagnosed with cancer, you may qualify to receive payment from the VCF. This program is scheduled to expire on Dec. 18, 2020; therefore, it is important to submit your WTC related health conditions claim as soon as possible.