Hansen & Rosasco, LLP

Long after hijacked airliners piloted by terrorists took down the World Trade Center towers in New York more than 22 years ago, fires burned below the fallen buildings’ rubble, emitting lethal toxins that posed long-term health problems for thousands of people.

Chronic health conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been a monumental struggle for thousands of 9/11 responders and survivors. Fortunately, help is available. For those who have developed GERD as a result of the terrorist attacks, medical monitoring and treatment are available through the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), and financial compensation is available through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). Understanding the condition and how it relates to the 9/11 terrorist attacks is the first step for responders and survivors in navigating the support that is available to them.

Prostate cancer is a major health concern for men around the world, affecting millions of men globally. But did you know there's a shocking connection between the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and an increased risk of prostate cancer? September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a good time to delve into the facts about prostate cancer and 9/11 exposure, explore symptoms of prostate cancer, and consider the treatment options and avenues for financial compensation that are available to 9/11 first responders and survivors through the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Article by Troy Rosasco, Published in the New York Law Journal

Partner Troy Rosasco was recently quoted on DailyMail.com in the article 9/11 families call Biden administration plea deal a 'betrayal' 

Breast cancer is the third most common cancer caused by the 9/11 dust and fumes. The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) reports over 2,625 cases of 9/11 caused breast cancer since that program opened in 2011. Of this total, 480 responders and 2,145 survivors – people who lived, worked, or were students in lower Manhattan between 9/11 and May 30, 2002 – were diagnosed with 9/11-related breast cancer. There are likely thousands more women (and men) who have been diagnosed with breast cancer since 2001 and do not know of the link between their presence in lower Manhattan in 2001-2002 and a diagnosed case of breast cancer, often a decade or more later. 

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was created to provide financial assistance to Pentagon workers and others who were present at the Pentagon and other exposure zones during the attacks, as well as those who may have been exposed to toxic substances as a result. The program provides compensation not only for physical injuries that day but also for illnesses such as cancer or breathing/digestive disorders that often take many years (sometimes decades) to develop. Available tax-free compensation includes economic and non-economic(pain & suffering) awards, as well as wrongful death damages for families who, at any time over the past 20-plus years, lost a loved one who was at the Pentagon during or the months after the attacks.

The responders and survivors of 9/11 are urging you to call your members of Congress to support the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2023.