Victims who have been diagnosed with cancer following exposure to toxins in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks may be able to apply for VCF cancer awards through the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund.

What are Victims Compensation Fund Cancer Awards?

The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund was created in order to provide financial relief to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. The fund awards financial sums to qualifying victims of the attacks who have been diagnosed with cancer. For many of the victims and first responders present in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, their resulting cancer is being diagnosed only now, nearly 20 years after the devastating event.

In the initial attack, nearly 3,000 people were killed, but now, thousands more are being diagnosed with a slew of cancers as a result of exposure to dangerous toxins at Ground Zero. VCF cancer awards may help these victims to offset costs of medical expenses, loss of income, loss of earning capacity, and other expenses related to their injuries.

Since the initiation of the Victims Compensation Fund, approximately $5 billion in awards have been distributed to victims. According to a local radio station, as of May 10, 2019, approximately $2.375 billion is left in the fund to fulfill pending and future 9/11 cancer and other claims until the renewal of funds just approved by the senate.

Tens of thousands of victims have been found eligible for compensation from the fund, and more claims are still pending, according to CNN.

Who Qualifies for VCF Cancer Awards?

In order to qualify for VCF cancer awards, victims must be able to meet specific criteria, including:

• Victims must have been present near the site of the 9/11 attacks between Sept. 11, 2001 and May 30, 2002. Many types of people who lived, worked or went to school below Canal Street may qualify, including first responders, firefighters, police officers, city workers, students, and residents.
• Victims must have been diagnosed with an eligible physical injury or condition that has been determined to be a result of the attacks.
• Victims must submit their applications prior to the deadline for the fund. This deadline is currently December 2020.
• If families of victims who are deceased are submitting the claim, they must be able to show that they are authorized to apply on behalf of the victim.

More than 70 cancers qualify victims to seek compensation from the fund. For most of these cancers, victims must have been diagnosed at least four years after their exposure to 9/11 toxins. For cancers of the bones or blood, this time limit is reduced to one-year post-exposure. Qualifying cancer claims include but are not limited to melanoma, lung cancer, leukemia, thyroid cancer, mesothelioma, stomach cancer, brain cancer, bone cancer, kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and liver cancer.

About the Victims Compensation Fund

The Victims Compensation Fund was established after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, in order to provide compensation to individuals or their families who had been physically harmed by exposure to carcinogenic chemicals released in the attacks.

The original fund was active between 2001 and 2004. In 2011, the fund was reinstated by President Obama, and in 2016 he reauthorized the fund to continue to operate for another five years. The current Victims Compensation Fund was set to expire in December 2020 due to a lack of funding – but the senate and President just approved it for the life of Ground Zero recipients.

Victims who meet the eligibility requirements may be able to apply for compensation through the Victims Fund before the expiration date and receive financial awards for medical care and other damages.

Those who may have been exposed to 9/11 toxins near Ground Zero may include first responders, sanitation workers, police officers, volunteers, employees in the area, students in nearby schools, and local residents, among many others. If you were diagnosed with one of the more than 70 types of cancer included in the list of 9/11-associated cancers on the World Trade Center Health Program webpage, you may be eligible for compensation from the Victims Compensation Fund.

The paperwork and deadlines that must be navigated in order to qualify for compensation can be complicated—but consulting an attorney can help you manage these aspects and maximize your potential compensation. Award money from the fund cannot undo the pain and suffering caused by 9/11 cancer, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.