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Victim Compensation FundZadroga ActWTC Health Program

Many Former Students and Teachers at Risk of 9/11-Related Illnesses

July 25, 2023 | Michael Barasch

There were dozens of schools in the Ground Zero exposure zone on and after 9/11, from Stuyvesant High School in Battery Park City to Murry Bergtraum High School on the Lower East Side.

In addition, there were other educational institutions, including Pace University, New York Law School, and the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Tragically, these schools re-opened within a few weeks after September 11, 2001, exposing students, teachers, and other staff to Ground Zero toxins that increase the risk of 69 different types of cancer and many respiratory illnesses.

Barasch & McGarry represents hundreds of people who studied and taught at schools in Lower Manhattan on and after 9/11, and we have worked closely with these institutions to inform former students, teachers, and staff of their right to access free health care and compensation.

If you were there, you are eligible to register with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), even if you are currently healthy.

Know that if you are diagnosed with a 9/11-related illness, your family medical history and pre-existing conditions will not affect your eligibility for free health care or compensation. 

If you were there in Lower Manhattan, the government presumes your cancer was the result of exposure to Ground Zero toxins.

If you are diagnosed with any 9/11-related cancer or respiratory illness, Barasch & McGarry can help you access resources through the free World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program and the 9/11 VCF.

The free health program provides comprehensive medical care to 9/11 victims for their 9/11-related illnesses.

The victim fund offers tax-free awards for pain and suffering, lost earnings, and benefits for surviving spouses and family members.

For the WTC Health Program, the exposure zone consists of all of Manhattan below Houston Street and parts of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO in Brooklyn.

For the 9/11 VCF, the exposure zone includes the area of Manhattan south of Canal Street and west of Clinton Street.

If you were exposed to Ground Zero toxins, you should know your health status. An early diagnosis could save your life.

Barasch & McGarry, Lawyers for the 9/11 Community, represents more than 35,000 members of the 9/11 community.

Visit 911victims.com or call 212-385-8000 today.

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