Hansen & Rosasco, LLP

September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) payouts can range between tens of thousands of dollars and $250,000 or more. With such a substantial award, planning for the future with your VCF award money is essential to ensure you protect your future quality of life and maximize the value of your award. Dissipation risks, future medical expenses, and income replacement should all be taken into consideration when planning for your VCF award money. 

Approximately 25,000 children were living or going to school in lower Manhattan on the day of the 9/11 attacks. The lasting health effects of this exposure on New York City’s (NYC) students – from physical illnesses to mental health issues – are still being felt by students of all ages who were present in or around the World Trade Center (WTC). This includes the area of Manhattan that is south of Houston Street and a large part of Brooklyn Heights. 

Over 500,000 individuals were exposed to toxic air in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11th, 2001. Many have gotten sick and have received lifetime healthcare through the World Trade Center Health Program and also compensation from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The majority of those who were exposed to the 9/11 dust – by living, working, or going to school in lower Manhattan on 9/11 and the many months afterward – are, thankfully, not sick. 

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.