WTC Health Program

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 […]

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 […]

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services have made significant budget cuts. These cuts have resulted in the disbandment of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the firing of sixteen doctors and nurses at the already understaffed World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. The Health […]

In 2010, 2015, and 2019, we asked our thousands of 9/11 clients to contact their representatives in Congress and urge them to pass and extend the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Thanks to your efforts, 99% of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives voted to establish and then permanently […]

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: