Hansen & Rosasco, LLP

As we welcome the beginning of another new year, anyone who was potentially affected by the 9/11 attacks should make sure they meet any deadlines, register with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), and take the first step towards getting free lifetime 9/11 healthcare and enroll in the  World Trade Center Health Program. The VCF was established to provide necessary financial support to those who have suffered from physical health conditions in the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC). 

Tragically, since 9/11, more people have died from a 9/11-related cancer or other illnesses due to the toxic dust and fumes than the amount of people who died that day due to the initial attack. To address this tragedy, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) is open to families who have lost loved ones to a 9/11 cancer or breathing condition in the 20-plus years since the attacks. Even if the death of your loved one occurred many years ago, you may still be entitled to compensation from the 9/11 VCF. This fund is available to not only the families of first responders, but also the families who lost loved ones who lived, worked, or went to school in Lower Manhattan (anywhere south of Canal Street) between 9/11 and May 30, 2002. 

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was created to provide financial relief to the individuals and families affected by the 9/11 attacks and subsequent rescue and debris removal efforts. Yet, receiving a VCF award brings forth a new challenge: How to wisely use the award money to secure a financially stable future, especially considering the long-term health conditions and possible terminal illnesses many victims face. 

Beyond the immediate devastation, the tragic events of 9/11 also set in motion a public health crisis that continues to affect thousands of first responders as well as the downtown workers, residents, and students who were all exposed to the toxic dust, debris, and fumes that covered Lower Manhattan until mid-2002. Among the many health problems that have since emerged, lung cancer has stricken several hundred of the responders and downtown workers, residents, and students. For many, receiving the support needed to deal with a lung cancer diagnosis has been fraught with challenges, including an understanding of the two federal 9/11 programs that can help, the World Trade Center Health Program (healthcare) and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (financial compensation). 

Multiple types of cancers – including rare cancers such as soft tissue cancers – have been linked to exposure to the toxic cloud of dust and debris that covered Manhattan in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks. In the years since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), an alarming increase in various health issues has been revealed not only in the first responders, but also at an alarming rate in Downton residents, office and other workers, and students. 

What is the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund? 

The VCF is a federal program to provide financial compensation to individuals who were injured or lost loved ones as a result of their presence at one of the sites of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including all people present (first responders and civilian residents, workers, and students) of lower Manhattan south of Can Street present between 9/11 and May 30, 2002. The VCF provides for both economic and non-economic losses from  9/11-related injury or death to those who qualify.

Securing an award from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) is often an important step in managing the physical, emotional, and financial hardships of 9/11-related health conditions. Receiving a VCF award, however, doesn't mark the end of the road. Instead, it provides a stepping stone to creating long-term financial stability and security.

If you or a loved one submitted a claim for financial compensation to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) and the claim was denied, the situation can feel discouraging. It may seem like you've hit a wall. We want to assure you, however, that a denial from the VCF is not a dead end, but rather a hurdle that can be surmounted with the right assistance and knowledge.

Awards made by the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) are not subject to federal taxes, even any part of a VCF award that is to replace lost earnings or wages. IRS Publication 3920 is clear that any amounts awarded and paid by the VCF are not income subject to taxes: ”Payments from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 are not included in income.”

After the 9/11 attacks, between 400,000 and 500,000 civilian workers, residents, and students were exposed to the millions of pounds of toxins that were released and hung in the air and on the ground until mid 2002. Tens of thousands of these people have developed 9/11-related illnesses, including various types of 9/11 cancers and aerodigestive disorders.