Sage Datko  |  March 11, 2019

Category: Cancer

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Searchlights mark the former locations of the World Trade Center towers.Some cancer victims are beginning to worry after an announcement from the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund earlier this year, stating that the fund’s resources are running out.

According to NPR, the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund is cutting its victim payouts by up to 70 percent. Although the fund will still be open until December 2020, time is running out for victims to file their claims and pursue compensation for their injuries, suffering, and medical expenses.

What is the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund?

The fund was established in 2011 in order to provide compensation to victims who were exposed to toxins and developed serious health conditions or died as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The fund has paid out approximately $5 billion to around 21,000 victims.

However, according to an announcement made by the fund’s administrator on Feb. 15, the amount of money left in the fund is rapidly decreasing. Approximately $2 billion is left in the fund to cover victims’ claims.

Representatives for the fund have stated that due to the financial situation,  any currently pending claims will be paid at 50 percent of the prior value. New claims received after Feb. 1, 2019 will be paid out at 30 percent of the prior value.

Victims who have been diagnosed with cancer or other qualifying illness as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks have until December 2020 to file their claims with the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. After December 2020, the fund will be inactive and victims will be unable to apply for benefits or compensation.

Who is Eligible for the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund?

Many types of people who were near Ground Zero immediately following the September 11 attacks are eligible to apply for compensation through the fund.

These eligible people include first responders, police officers, EMTs, fire fighters, sanitation workers, construction workers, city workers, utility workers, and cleaners. 9/11 volunteers and out-of-state responders are also eligible, as well as employees, residents, and students who worked, lived, or went to school below Canal Street in the time immediately following the attacks. This list is incomplete and others may also qualify.

In order to be eligible for the fund, you must be diagnosed with a qualifying cancer or other illness. Dozens of diagnosed cancers are covered by the fund, including:

  • Bladder cancer
  • Bone cancer
  • Brain cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Kidney cancer   
  • Leukemia
  • Liver cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Melanoma
  • Mesothelioma
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Skin cancer
  • Stomach cancer
  • Thyroid cancer

If you lived, worked, or went to school near Ground Zero between Sept. 11, 2001 until May 31, 2002 and have been diagnosed with a qualifying cancer, you may be able to apply for compensation through the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. The fund will only be active until December 2020, so qualifying victims are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Navigating the complex and burdensome paperwork and strict deadlines to participate in the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund can be difficult. An experienced 9/11 Victim Fund attorney can help and ensure you get the maximum compensation available.

If you were present near Ground Zero, generally considered to be Lower Manhattan below Canal Street, between September 11, 2001 and May 31, 2002, and were diagnosed with cancer 4 years or more after exposure (or 1 year or more for blood and bone cancers), you may qualify for compensation.

Submit your information now for a free, no-obligation review of your potential 9/11 cancer fund claim.

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If you qualify, a September 11 Victim Compensation Fund attorney will contact you to discuss the details of your potential claim at no charge to you.

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to participate in this investigation, it is imperative that you reply to the law firm if they call or email you. Failing to do so may result in you not getting signed up as a client or getting you dropped as a client.

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