Skip to content

9/11 Compensation Eligibility & Exposure Zone

Highlights

  • Anyone who was in the World Trade Center Exposure Zone on 9/11, or in the 8 months that followed, may be eligible for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and World Trade Center Health Program.
  • The WTC Exposure Zone is an area extending south from Houston Street in Lower Manhattan and covering a 1.5 mile radius from Ground Zero including a western edge of Brooklyn.
  • Establishing where you were inside this zone determines which 9/11 compensation and health programs you may be eligible for.

Were You in Lower Manhattan on 9/11 or in the Months that Followed?

The most important factor in determining your eligibility for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) or World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) is whether you were inside the exposure zone in Lower Manhattan on 9/11 or in the 8 months that followed. Placing yourself inside the exposure zone means that you spent time breathing in the toxic air from the smoke and debris of the World Trade Center.

What is the 9/11 Exposure Zone?

The 9/11 Exposure Zone is a defined area of Lower Manhattan extending south from Houston Street and covering a 1.5 mile radius around the Ground Zero attack site. This zone is made up of two overlapping areas that determine which program a 9/11 victim could be eligible for:

  • WTCHP Eligibility starts at Houston Street and extends south covering a 1.5 mile radius around the Ground Zero. A part of western Brooklyn, NY is included in this area.
  • VCF Eligibility is an area defined as south from Canal Street and west of Clinton Street, covering all of Lower Manhattan south of those boundaries.
Map of the 9/11 Exposure Zone in Lower Manhattan New York City

Who Is Eligible For Compensation & Free Health Care?

The short answer is everyone that was exposed to the toxic air within the Exposure Zone mentioned above. This includes Lower Manhattan office workers, residents, teachers, students, clean-up workers, construction crews, responders, volunteers and firefighters, police, and EMTs who lived worked or went to school in the exposure zone.

For specific information about the eligibility of these groups of survivors:

I want to personally thank the firm for their hard work at both the forefront, and in the offices of the VCF in Washington. Without the firm’s non-stop commitment to the VCF, I wonder where many of us first responders would be today.

E.S.
9/11 Responder

Helping For All 9/11 Victims

The 9/11 attorneys at Barasch & McGarry have helped thousands determine their eligibility, file their claim, and receive over $3 Billion from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Call us at 212-385-8000 or contact us online to see if you qualify.

9/11 Compensation Eligibility & Exposure Zone

Additional Topics

  • 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF)

    Learn about the 9/11 VCF; permanently funded with over $10 billion to compensate anyone with 9/11-linked illnesses and 69 different cancers.

    Read More
  • World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP)

    Find out about the WTCHP which provides free medical monitoring, testing, treatment, and prescription drugs for a range of 9/11-linked conditions.

    Read More
  • 9/11 VCF Results & Awards

    Barasch & McGarry has recovered more money from the Victim's Compensation Fund than any other law firm. See example awards & results.

    Read More
  • Why Barasch & McGarry

    With over 20,000 clients under representation and $3 Billion+ recovered from the Victim Compensation Fund, find out why Barasch & McGarry are truly "Lawyers for the 9/11 Community".

    Read More

Home Live Chat

Photo of Michael Barasch.
Online Now

Hi, we are here to help if you have questions.