Recent Blog Posts

Attorneys Mike Barasch and Noah Kushlefsky were invited to speak at a Voices of September 11th Forum.  They joined the  Victim Compensation Fund’s (VCF) Special Master Sheila Birnbaum, and the VCF’s NY Director Fran Gottfried.  The four discussed the progress that the VCF has made since Congress passed the Zadroga Health & Compensation Act in […]

First responders suffering with cancers, respiratory problems, and other illnesses say people will die if 9/11 health and compensation programs expire:  Joe Zadroga, father of NYPD Detective James Zadroga Without Congressional action, the World Trade Center Health Program and the Victim Compensation Fund will expire next year, leaving over 70,000 9/11 responders and survivors in […]

Mike Barasch attended a press conference at Ground Zero where several NY area Congressmen urged their colleagues—particularly House Republican leaders—to bring the WTC Zadroga extension bill to a vote. Barasch joined politicians, union leaders and dozens of responders to urge passage.  Several survivors, including Barasch’s client Joe Zadroga, spoke of the health and financial hardships […]

On July 7, 2015, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill extending the Sept. 11th Worker Protection Task Force for another five years. Sponsors of the legislation cited the positive role of the Task Force in helping those afflicted with disabilities after working at the World Trade Center in the wake of the 2001 […]

Deputy U.S. Marshal Zacarias Toro died June 14 of cancer reportedly connected to his work as a first responder on and immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The World Trade Center Health Program had previously deemed Toro’s illness to be a direct result of his work at Ground Zero. Due to the […]

On June 16, a monument constructed from pieces of the World Trade Center was removed from a foreclosure auction list in Salem, Virginia. The decision to remove the monument came after activists called media attention to the proposed auction. Activists included relatives of deceased New York firefighters and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. The monument features […]