Recent Blog Posts

This depends. The VCF generally prioritizes claims on the basis of when they received them, meaning they try to address older claims first before moving onto newer ones. The process is sometimes expedited, however, when the victim is critically ill or destitute. If you or a loved one is suffering from a critical illness related […]

Managing Partner Michael Barasch joined other 9/11 community advocates, first responders, survivors, and elected officials at a press conference this week on Capitol Hill in support of the bipartisan 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2023. The bill would provide long-term funding for the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program and allow currently-excluded […]

February is American Heart Month. If you were there as a first responder or you worked, lived, or studied in Lower Manhattan on or after 9/11, you have a higher risk of developing many respiratory illnesses and 69 different types of cancer resulting from exposure to Ground Zero toxins. In addition, a study published by the Journal of […]

February is Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month. If you were there as a first responder or you worked, lived, or studied in Lower Manhattan on or after 9/11, you have a higher risk of developing many respiratory illnesses and 69 different types of cancer resulting from exposure to Ground Zero toxins, including gallbladder and bile […]

Today, February 8, 2023, would have been NYPD Detective James Zadroga’s 52nd birthday. A native of Arlington, New Jersey, and a Barasch & McGarry client, Detective Zadroga was a 9/11 first responder whose premature death demonstrated that the air near Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan was toxic. His illness provided crucial evidence demonstrating that exposure […]

February is National Cancer Prevention Month. Barasch & McGarry will host a free event – the Cancer Prevention in the 9/11 Community Webinar – on Wednesday, February 15, at 5:00 p.m. Register here for the free webinar, which will feature information from advocates and medical professionals on accessing the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program […]