9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Provides a Window for Previously Barred Claims
For many years, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) paid claims to the families of people who have died from illnesses caused by the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the site of Flight 93’s crash.
The fund required that children and spouses register their claims within two years of the parent or spouse’s death.
Luckily for many, beginning September 11, 2019, the VCF opened a window that effectively erases that two-year time limit. The VCF allows families of individuals who died because of 9/11-related conditions who did not register claims within two years of their death to do so now. However, they only have a few months left to do so.
The grace period ends on July 29, 2021.
If someone you love died from a 9-11-related condition, you still have time to register your claim with the VCF. Our lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP, can help.
Families Might Not Know They Can File Claims With the VCF
In a recent Fortune article, one attorney told reporter Shawn Tully that nearly 80% of those who have registered claims with the VCF are families of first responders. However, 90% of eligible non-first responder families have not. There are three main reasons:
- Many people don’t know about the grace period
- Many don’t realize they are eligible to participate in the VCF at all because they think it is just for firefighters and police officers
- They have not considered that their loved ones death was caused by 9/11
According to the article, 400,000 of the 500,000 people that make up New York’s 9/11 community are not first responders. This means that there are potentially 400,000 people who either have or will develop 9/11 related illnesses that can be fatal.
The 9/11 community includes first responders and individuals who worked, lived, or went to school in the area around the attack on the World Trade Center. Concrete dust, toxic fumes, and hazardous materials flooded the air in the “exposure zone” for months after the attacks resulting in illnesses. Some people developed symptoms quickly. For others, it took years to learn they were suffering from a serious condition. Many died within a few years of 9/11. Twenty years later, people are still learning that they have illnesses caused by the events of that day.
The article suggests that since 1,000 police and firefighters have died since 9/11 from various conditions related to their exposure to the air near ground zero, there might be 4,000 non-first responders who have as well. The families of these individuals are entitled to register claims with the VCF. For some of them, however, the deadline is approaching.
Important Facts to Know About the VCF
To rally eligible families to register claims before the deadline, there some facts that people should know;
- The VCF is not just for families of police and firefighters who died of 9/11 related illnesses
- The VCF is available to people who worked, went to school, or lived in the exposure zone. This can include office workers, restaurant workers, sanitation workers, construction workers, retail store owners and employees, executives, cleaners, students, and residents of nearby apartments.
- Some 9/11-related illnesses can take many years to develop obvious symptoms
- There is a required amount of time a person must have spent in the area between September 11, 2001, and May 2002.
- Toxins from 9/11 have been linked to causing more than 65 types of cancer, including leukemia, lymphoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer.
- Toxins from 9/11 have also been linked to severe digestive disorders, respiratory conditions like asthma and lung disease.
Call Alonso Krangle, LLP While You Still Have time to Register Your Claim With the 9/11 VCF
For many people, the July deadline will not be an issue, and there will be ample time to register claims with the VCF. However, for those who were previously time-barred, it is crucial that you register your claim in time – before the grace period ends. At Alonso Krangle, LLP, we can ensure you preserve your legal right to obtain compensation from the 9/11 VCF, but you need to act quickly.
If you or your loved one spent time in the exposure zone after 9/11, call our 9/11 VCF lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP, today to learn about your rights to collect compensation from this important fund. You might be entitled to a substantial amount of money. Don’t miss out by waiting.
Call our 9/11 VCF lawyers at 800-403-6191 today for a free consultation.