Recent Blog Posts

Nearly two decades after 9/11, thousands of first responders and hundreds of thousands of survivors (people who were living, working, or attending school near Ground Zero) have still not registered with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. It is alarming that only 5% of the 400,000 9/11 survivor population has registered with the free World Trade Center […]

NYPD veteran John Ferreyra figured he could trust his longtime friend Gus Vila, a former police officer who had since become an attorney, and who handled Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) claims. After the 9/11 attacks, Officer Ferreyra spent 12 hour days for 2 months assisting in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. He […]

It has been almost a year since the coronavirus first swept through the U.S., and although a vaccine appears to be on the horizon, the fact remains that the health crisis has taken a heavy toll on the 9/11 community. Hundreds of first responders and survivors have died of COVID-19. Hundreds more have contracted more-severe-than-usual […]

The 9/11 community’s health crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic because first responders and survivors with compromised immune and respiratory systems are uniquely vulnerable to the disease. This crisis has placed an enormous emotional, physical, and financial burden on individuals and families, including responders, debris removal and construction workers, downtown office workers, residents, […]

Regular medical checkups, including a physical examination and mental health assessment, are an important part of maintaining and even improving your overall health. For members of the 9/11 community, both first responders and survivors, these checkups are vitally important for detecting as early as possible – and successfully treating – the 68 different types of […]

COVID-19 has confronted first responders and front-line health care workers with an unprecedented crisis, threatening the health and safety of essential workers who have carried New York and the entire nation on their backs, day after day. Throughout the pandemic, Barasch & McGarry has been honored to work tirelessly to support first responders and medical […]