Toxins released into the air during terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 2001, exposed those at Ground Zero to illnesses, including cancer.

What Is Ground Zero?

The 9/11 Ground Zero Memorial Museum website explains that Ground Zero is usually defined as the site of the former World Trade Center and the areas around it. Today, One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, stands on the northwest corner of Ground Zero.

More than 2,700 people were killed in New York City at the sites of the World Trade Center. This was in addition to 184 others killed during the same series of attacks at the Pentagon and 40 people whose airliner went down in Shanksville, Pa.

Evidence suggests that those who were present at Ground Zero during and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks suffered effects that long outlasted the attacks themselves. Tragically, nearly 10,000 people who were at Ground Zero during or soon after the attacks have died of cancer believed to be linked to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

What Caused Cancer at Ground Zero?

During the 9/11 terrorist attacks, toxic fumes and particles were released from the damaged and destroyed buildings. Because the skyscrapers continued to burn for days after the attacks, the dangerous particles continued to wreak havoc for an extended period of time.

Many people breathed these fumes. New York City initially declared the air safe to breathe, and thousands of people went back to work not long after the attacks. However, the air at and around the site was full of fumes. Recent research suggests that the air was not actually safe to breathe. This meant that many people who believed they were safe inadvertently breathed in toxic chemicals. Though New Yorkers attempted to go back to their daily lives, buildings still simmered in the background and the 9/11 terrorist attacks continued wreaking havoc.

Experts say that exposure to airborne toxins, including asbestos, mercury, benzene, fiberglass, and others may have caused many people at Ground Zero to develop cancer. City Lab explains that these cancers are wide-ranging, and can include thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, myeloma, lung cancer, and many others.

Almost 20 years later, the number of cancer types thought to be associated with 9/11 has continued to grow. These cancers are accompanied by dozens of respiratory illnesses and other conditions. 

The Guardian reports that an unusually high number of men who were present at Ground Zero during or after the terrorist attacks have developed breast cancer. Though breast cancer affects an average of 1 in 100,000 men, the number of 9/11 survivors with this cancer is uncommonly high.

According to the World Trade Center Health Program, approximately 18,000 people — both victims and first responders—exposed at Ground Zero have since been diagnosed with related cancers.

Are There Other Effects of Ground Zero in New York City?

More than 400,000 people are estimated to have been exposed to toxins at Ground Zero. These individuals may suffer from a range of conditions, including cancer, asthma, PTSD, and others. Tragically, more than 2,000 people have died as a result of illnesses connected to Ground Zero toxin exposure.

What Damages Can You Claim?

Some 68 cancer types are eligible for compensation through the World Trade Center Health Program. According to CBS News, some 450,000 people are eligible for free lifetime medical care through the program. In addition to cancer, eligible victims include a range of other health conditions. The fund provides medical treatment for survivors through the year 2090.

However, many people are not aware of the program. Just 100,000 of an estimated 450,000 eligible people have signed up for benefits through the program. Responders who provided assistance after the attacks are eligible for some benefits, but other victims must suffer from symptoms to receive healthcare coverage through the program.

CBS notes that experts advise survivors to sign up for the World Trade Center Health program even if they are healthy. You do not have to file a benefits claim to register for the program. Annual screenings are available to survivors even if they are not currently sick. These screenings may help identify health problems early and can help ensure that a survivor is eligible for free health care if they do get sick later on.

Through the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, victims can receive compensation for injury related to the terrorist attacks. This may include physical injury during the attacks or illness contracted in connection with the attacks. It may also include compensation to families who lost a family member in the attacks. 

Eligible people include first responders, people present at Ground Zero before or after the attacks, those who worked near the World Trade Center, and others. 

Those individuals present at the crash sites at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania are also eligible for the program. Anyone present at these three sites between September 11, 2001, and May 30, 2002, and who have since developed illnesses related to the attacks are eligible. 

To show that a condition is related to 9/11, a person filing a claim will need to provide documentation that their illness is related to the condition. This may include documentation that they were present at Ground Zero during the applicable time period and may include medical records showing that their condition is likely connected to the 9/11 toxin exposure and is not associated instead with another condition. 

How Many Lawsuits Have Ground Zero Cancer Victims Filed?

Tens of thousands of workers have filed lawsuits over 9/11-related injuries. In 2010, The New York Times reported that New York City reached a settlement — to the tune of at least $625 million — with a group of 10,000 workers over health problems they suffered.

That same year, NBC News reported that more than 9,000 legal claims had been filed against New York City over 9/11-related illnesses, but only 30 were being considered for trial. The network explained that finding details on medically-related lawsuits can be challenging due to medical privacy laws, but the number of Ground Zero cancer lawsuits has undoubtedly risen over the years.

Should You File A Ground Zero Cancer Claim?

A growing number of people who were near Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11, including many first responders, are now developing a variety of types of cancer.

If you suffered an injury as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, you may be eligible for compensation. Medical care for cancer treatment is costly, and filing a claim may help you get the compensation you need to cope with your illness. If your loved one died of 9/11-related cancer, you may also be eligible to file a Ground Zero cancer lawsuit and may be able to receive compensation for financial or emotional injury.

Victims now have until 2090 to apply for relief through the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which had previously been extended through December 2020. Awards through the fund that had been reduced are now being restored to the full compensation amounts after the fund was permanently authorized in 2019.

Those who are eligible for compensation are people who have been diagnosed with one of the dozens of eligible cancer types in the years after being exposed to Ground Zero between Sept. 11, 2001, and May 31, 2002.

If you are a victim of 9/11 cancer, you deserve to be properly compensated. This kind of paperwork can be complicated, as can gathering evidence, so consulting an experienced attorney can help. While compensation from the fund cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by a cancer diagnosis, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, it can at least help to alleviate the burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, wrongful death, and more.

Top Class Actions can help by connecting you with an experienced attorney.