Blog
FDNY Chief Laid to Rest in Catholic Funeral 15 Years After 9/11 Attack
Battalion Chief Lawrence T. Stack was 58 when he died on Sept. 11, with nearly 33 years of fighting fires under his belt. Credit Heather Walsh for The New York Times An FDNY battalion chief, who served the department for 33 years before perishing heroically on 9/11, was finally able to have a Catholic funeral […]
BREAKING NEWS: Victim Compensation Fund Changes the Eligibility Requirements for WTC-Related Cancers
First Responders, Local residents, office workers and students with cancer may now be able to assert claims Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice made an extremely important change to the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). As a result, many cancer victims who missed the deadline to register for compensation can now do so. Until last […]
Fallout From 9/11 Attacks on Par With Fukushima and Chernobyl, Researcher Says
Mike Barasch commented on the yet to be published medical findings of Dr. Lucchini of the WTCHP. “Dr Lucchini’s findings come as no surprise to me or the attorneys at my firm. We represent thousands of sick people in the 9/11 community every day. They tell us the sad news that they have been diagnosed […]
Reauthorized Zadroga Act Changes Deadline and Eligible Conditions
When Congress passed the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Reauthorization Act on December 18, 2015, it made certain changes to the substance of the law. When the VCF Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum published the Interim Final Rule to address those changes, the announcement highlighted the key changes. The new Zadroga Act: Extends […]
Rescuing the Rescuers: The Effort to Cover and Monitor 9/11 Responders for Lung Disease and Cancer
Thousands of first responders and citizens developed cancer following the September 11 terror attacks. Michael Barasch commented on another medical study which has demonstrated a marked increase in Lung Disease and Cancers among first responders. Barasch said “Unfortunately, the WTC toxic dust had the same affect on local residents and workers as it had on […]
First study examines PTSD and cognitive impairment in World Trade Center responders
The impact of PTSD on cognitive ability is only now being charted. Mike Barash commented on the recent study linking the World Trade Center toxic dust to cognitive impairment. Barash said “I’m delighted to see that the World Trade Center health program and the Zadroga act are working as Congress intended them to. When the […]
Zadroga Act Special Master Publishes Interim Final Rule
Sheila Birnbaum, special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. When Congress voted to reauthorize the Zadroga Act, it charged the U.S. Department of Justice with the task of writing regulations for its implementation and assigned statutory deadlines for completion. The Attorney General selected Sheila Birnbaum to serve as Special Master for the September […]
Message from Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya – VCF Program Updates
Michael Barasch commented on Victim Compensation Fund Special Master’s program update: When Congress re-authorized and extended the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) last December, it mandated that the VCF pay claimants whose applications were completed, before it could even consider new or amended claims. As many of you know firsthand, many claimants have still not been […]
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund: Still waiting after 15 years
Bobby Zahn has been approved for a claim from the Victim Compensation Fund. He got metastatic prostate cancer following his work at ground zero in the weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Mike Barasch, managing partner of Barasch & McGarry, attorneys for the Zadroga Family, as well as thousands of […]
