Hansen & Rosasco, LLP

One of the many concerning effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is its impact on the gastrointestinal system. Inhaling or ingesting the substances found in the 9/11 dust can cause a variety of gastrointestinal issues ranging from cancer of the digestive system (including colon and rectum), mouth, tongue, esophageal, and stomach cancer to serious non-cancer conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus and similar conditions. 

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) takes at least 17 months to decide a claim and make an award. This 17-month wait for a decision is after a fully completed claim is submitted, including the certification letter issued by the World Trade Center Health Program. In addition, if a claim is not fully submitted correctly, the VCF will likely either simply deny the claim and award no compensation or there will be lengthy delays (in some cases, many years) before a claim is decided. 

In the 20-plus years since 9/11, more than 5,000 families have lost a loved one to a 9/11 cancer or other illness. Those unfortunate souls who lost their lives include people who breathed the dust and fumes that stayed in lower Manhattan from 9/11 until mid-2002. The majority of those who have passed since 9/11 are people who, not knowing the dangers of the toxic air, went back to work, live, or school in lower Manhattan south of Canal Street. 

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. 

Today, the Hansen & Rosasco, LLP team attended the press conference to introduce the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The law firm of Hansen & Rosasco supports the brave men and women who ran towards danger and helped in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by cosponsoring the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act.

Finally, a silver lining for women 9/11 cancer victims. The World Trade Center Health (WTC) Program has issued the final rule adding all types of uterine cancer, including endometrial cancer, to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions (List) effective January 18, 2023.  

Due to the large number of potential future 9/11 victims, and exponential medical cost growth primarily to cancer treatment, there was a proposed additional $3.6 billion budget for the WTC Health Program in the recent federal Omnibus Bill to cover the projected WTC Health Program gap in funding by 2024. To our dismay, this $3.6 billion proposal to fund the WTC Health Program was originally omitted completely from the recent $1.7 trillion Omnibus spending bill that will fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.