Victim Compensation Fund

Today, May 28, 2025, is the eighth anniversary of FDNY Firefighter Raymond J. Pfeifer’s passing. He was 59 years old. A 9/11 hero and Barasch & McGarry client, Pfeifer worked tirelessly to persuade Congress to establish permanent health and compensation benefits for 9/11 community members with cancer or respiratory illness and their families. After the terrorist attacks on September […]

Created by the Zadroga Act in 2011, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund provides tax-free awards for pain and suffering, lost earnings, and benefits for surviving spouses and family members of responders and survivors who are diagnosed with 9/11-related cancer and respiratory illness. If you were there in Lower Manhattan below Canal Street, at the Pentagon, […]

Anyone exposed to toxins on or after 9/11 at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, the Pentagon, or the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania has an increased risk of developing 69 different types of cancer. The most common cancers for 9/11 responders and survivors are skin cancer, including melanoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. […]

Today is Melanoma Monday. 9/11 first responders and people who were working, living, or studying in Lower Manhattan below Canal Street on and after 9/11 are at risk of developing many respiratory illnesses and 69 different types of cancer — including melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Barasch & McGarry represents nearly 2,500 9/11 victims who […]

One of the most common questions we get asked is: when will I receive my VCF award? Generally, the fund prioritizes claims based on when the claim was received – with older claims reviewed before newer claims. But there are a few exceptions. If you have a terminal illness or are at risk of severe […]

The financial costs of illness are often enormous – even beyond the health care bills. These expenses are a particular burden for 9/11 responders and survivors who have been diagnosed with cancer or respiratory illnesses. Economic loss awards may be given in several different scenarios: