9/11 NOTICE Act – Your Rights, Benefits, and Next Steps

The enactment of the 9/11 NOTICE Act has ushered in a new era of responsibility for businesses in Lower Manhattan, particularly those below Canal Street – the areas polluted by the fallout from the 9/11 attacks. This Act aims to ensure that all potential 9/11 victims are informed of the benefits and compensation available to them. If you receive a notice from your employer under the Notice Act, it is important to not only know what benefits are available but also why you should act now even if you are not sick. 

Rights and Benefits Under the 9/11 Benefit Programs 

The purpose of the Notice Act is to require employers with more than 50 employees on or after 9/11 to educate their employees from that time of their right to lifetime 9/11-related healthcare from the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) and cash compensation from the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), Until now, many downtown offices and other non-responder workers were not fully aware of the benefits available to them by the 9/11 WTC Health Program and 9/11 VCF programs, including: 

• That the 9/11 programs are for the civilian workforce (and not just first responders), 
• That the 9/11 programs cover almost any cancer diagnosed in the 20+ years since the attacks, 
• That your attorney can assist you in establishing the causal link between your presence in lower Manhattan in 2001/2002 and any cancer that developed many years later even if you had other cancer risk factors, 
• That you did not have to be caught in the dust cloud or even present on 9/11, but rather any time between 9/11 and May 30, 2002, 
• That the 9/11 programs are open until 2090 and it is usually not too late to receive health benefits and an award, even if you got sick or lost a loved one to cancer, breathing, or digestive condition even if as long ago as 2002
  
  

Why Act Now (Even if You’re Not Sick) 

It is estimated that between 300,000 and 360,000 people worked in lower Manhattan on or after the 9/11 attacks, all exposed to the toxic dust and fumes spewed into the air due to the attacks and the many months of clean-up efforts. While tens of thousands of those exposed to the dust have gotten sick (or passed away) due to a 9/11 cancer or breathing/digestive illness, still many others have not gotten sick. 

It is important to take action now to protect your future rights under the WTCHP and the VCF, even if you are not currently sick. While these programs are open until 2090, you should still take action now because both programs require that you submit written proof and/or affidavits from witnesses to prove your physical presence in the 9/11 Disaster Area (anywhere south of Canal Street) on or after 9/11. As the years pass, the process of getting this proof of presence is getting increasingly difficult and, at some future time, will likely be impossible.  We urge all of our clients to let us help them (our attorneys and paralegals request old records, draft and have witness affidavits signed, search our investigative databases for public and other record, etc.) get the proof of presence now and keep these documents in a client’s proof folder if needed in the future years or decades.  

If you are or have been sick with cancer, breathing, or digestive condition since 9/11 (or lost a loved one to these conditions), then it is important that you act now to ensure that you receive future lifetime 9/11-related healthcare and an award from the VCF for your 9/11 illnesses and any related past medical expenses, lost earnings, or other losses. 

Empowering Survivors of 9/11

Thousands of New York City workers went back to work in the weeks and months following the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), while particulates from the toxic cloud of dust and debris were still hovering in the air over lower Manhattan. Many of these workers have since developed 9/11-related health conditions. For these workers, knowledge is power. The 9/11 NOTICE Act ensures workers receive information about the which offers support for various health concerns related to the 9/11 attacks. These include various types of cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory diseases, and more. It is imperative that businesses take proactive steps to ensure that all eligible individuals – employees past and present – are informed and empowered to claim the benefits they are entitled to.

How a Trusted 9/11 Attorney Can Help

The federal 9/11 benefit programs are a complex set of federal laws with decades of overlapping regulations that are hundreds of pages long. Navigating the federal bureaucracy is where the expertise of a trusted 9/11 attorney comes in. A lawyer with experience in 9/11 claims can help 9/11 victims understand their legal rights under the 9/11 NOTICE Act and how to respond now and to prepare for the future. We provide tailored advice on compliance strategies and establish routine review processes, ensuring that your rights under the Notice Act are secured and that you have a successful claim for healthcare from the WTC Health Program and receive maximum compensation for the 9/11 VCF.

Work with Our Experienced 9/11 Attorneys

At Hansen & Rosasco LLP, our experienced 9/11 attorneys understand the profound impact the 9/11 attacks had on our community. We’ve been representing 9/11 victims from the beginning, and we are dedicated to helping the entire 9/11 community. Our legal team can provide the necessary tools and guidance to ensure that you are given the support needed to access the benefits available. Contact us today for a free consultation.