New York City Personal Injury Lawyer - World Trade Center Illness

Judge Sets April Date for 9/11 Wrongful Death Suit

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:58:00 GMT

A federal judge in New York has set April 12, 2010 as the date for the first trial in the wrongful death lawsuits stemming from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein set the date Tuesday over complaints by aviation security industry lawyers who said they need more time to prepare.

It is undecided which of three remaining wrongful death cases will be heard by a jury at the trial. More than 90 families have already settled their claims; thousands of other claims were resolved through a special compensation fund.

Hellerstein said he wants the trial to move quickly, and will set time limits on each side's presentation.

Immediately following this case, he will then begin proceedings on lawsuits from people who have respiratory problems that may be associated with the attacks.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

WTC Lawsuits To Begin In 2010

Chrissie Cole — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:58:00 GMT

Lawsuits against the city of New York resulting from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001 will begin in the spring of 2010.

Nearly 10,000 emergency workers, firefighters and city personnel worked at the site for the nine-months during the rescue and recovery operation.

The suit claims a variety of illnesses suffered resulted from the city’s failure to offer breathing masks to those exposed to toxins in the dust and fires that burned at the site for months, calling it an “inexcusable violation of basic safety laws.”

The city claims they did distribute more than 200,000 respirators, but not everyone chose to wear one, possibly because of conflicting assurances by health officials that said the air was safe.

A reported 300 or more responders have gotten cancer and thousands of others have become sick from a host of respiratory ailments and other conditions. Some, have died.

“The people who need relief the most will be at the front of the line, where they should be,” said Paul J. Napoli, an IB member, to the New York Times. His firm represents more than 9,000 of the workers.

Lawyers plan to move forward with at least 50 cases against the city and about 150 private contractors. The most severely injured cases to be heard first beginning May 16, 2010. Still undecided is whether the cases will be heard individually or in a group.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

World Trade Center Stress is Comparable to the War, Study Says

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:56:00 GMT

A newly released study suggests post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, in World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers is comparable to that of U.S. war veterans returning from Afghanistan.

The study is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Many trade center workers suffered chronic impairment ranging from psychological distress to mental health and functioning that dramatically exceeds population norms.

The authors say the study findings underscore for a much needed long-term mental health screening and surveillance, and continued treatment for workers and that of their families.

10,132 workers participated in the study by answering a questionnaire. Nearly nine percent met criteria for percent, while five percent met criteria for panic disorders and sixty-two percent for substantial stress reaction.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Bill Pending in Congress to Continue Funding for 9/11 Responders

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:52:00 GMT

Seven years have passed since the attack on the World Trade Center. The women and men who worked at Ground Zero now suffer from serious illnesses with no end in sight.

Doctors, politicians and first responders from New Jersey, came together in a recent gathering to call upon the government to continue funding efforts to treat and study the long-term health affects suffered by those who worked among the rubble following the collapse of the twin towers.

A New Jersey clinic intended to treat 200 people, now cares for more than 1,300. Many of them are firefighters, police officers and construction works. They are being treated for a host of different health conditions ranging from asthma to pulmonary fibrosis, sinusitis and sleep apnea and rare cancers.

Following the attack, nearly 90,000 liters of jet fuel created a cloud of black smoke that contained toxic compounds such as metals and benzene. Microscopic glass, asbestos and lead were also found, according to congressional testimony.

A bill pending in Congress to continue funding for these centers is named for James Zadroga, a New York City police detective who was at Ground Zero. Zadroga's father, a former police chief of North Arlington, told the story yesterday of his son's heroism at the World Trade Center and his eventual illness and death in January of 2006.

The legislation would provide long-term funding to allow the centers to continue evaluating emerging methods of treatment, said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.

He did not have an estimate on what the bill would cost, but last year, the effort to monitor and treat WTC responders was $108 million, a Pallone staff member said. According to congressional testimony, more than 51,000 responders from across the country have enrolled in the WTC health program, out of about 91,000 people involved in rescue, recovery and clean-up.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Registration Date Extended for 911 Workers & Volunteers to File Workers' Comp

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:31:00 GMT

Those who helped assist in the rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts of the World Trade Center destruction - have an extended deadline of August 13, 2008 to register with the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board.

The law has been changed to allow for claims by those that have 9/11 related illnesses.

The change applies to workers and volunteers that may not be sick now, but how become sick in the future due to toxic exposure following 9/11.

To ensure eligibility, all workers and volunteers must register before August 13, 2008 to preserve your right to file a claim in the future.

Workers and volunteers who assisted in cleanup work, recovery and rescue should register as soon as possible, to avoid the deadline. Those who were exposed to psychological trauma and/or toxic dust should protect their rights by filing a claim. If you are not sure if you qualify to make a claim, registering is suggested.

Detailed information can be found by visiting the NYCOSH website at www.nycosh.org or by calling 1-866-WTC-2556 24-hours a day.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Judge Rules Insurance Companies to Pay WTC Legal Costs

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:36:51 GMT

In a ruling by New York Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, insurance companies for the City of New York are responsible for legal costs associated with defending the city in World Trade Center cases. A $1 Billion captive insurance fund was set up by the federal government to pay claims, but that money was being used to pay for legal costs as well. The city has had legal expenses of $100 Million.

Plaintiffs lawyer Paul Napoli Jr. has headed a campaign to force the insurance fund to begin making payments to claimants, but lawyers for the city say he and his co-counsel have refused to recognize any cap on liability in the action and have misrepresented the fund as a "pot of money" just waiting to be distributed.
Napoli, other plaintiffs attorneys and members of Congress have criticized the city for using the funds to pay large legal bills rather than compensating 9/11 responders who have incurred respiratory and other health problems as a result of work at the World Trade Center site.

New York City has also been denied immunity from lawsuits by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Thousands of people have fallen ill since the World Trade Center attacks in 2001. It is believed that toxic fumes and substances from the buildings collapsing filled the air and were inhaled by people who responded to the scene.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Journalists Battling World Trade Center Illness

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:50:04 GMT

First responders to the World Trade Center in 2001 included fireman, police officers and rescue workers. Journalists also responded to the scene in order to report on the events there. There is a new report out now that journalists and photographers are also suffering from World Trade Center Illness. They were exposed to the same toxic fumes and materials believed to be responsible for a host of health problems.

First responders and construction workers who toiled in the toxic aftermath of 9/11 have been the subject of news reports, political speeches and prize-winning newspaper editorials. But little has been said about the journalists who were exposed to the same conditions.
Handschuh and the NYPPA are advocating for legislation in New York State to extend the deadline for journalists to file 9/11-related workers compensation claims. Last year state lawmakers extended the filing deadline for rescue and recovery workers to August 14, but there is no similar extension for journalists.

When the buildings collapsed materials such as absestos, PCBs, lead, glass, and cement were released into the air. The most common health problem listed by those that were at the site include respiratory problems and post-traumatic stress disorder. Others are reporting becoming ill with cancer since the attacks.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

World Trade Center Sick Travel to Washington

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:38:05 GMT

Two busloads of first responders to the World Trade Center attacks traveled to Washington D.C. yesterday in order to ask for better health care coverage for themselves and others. Thousands are people are believed to suffer World Trade Center Illness after being exposed to toxic fumes and rubble. Two jetlines flew into the buildings on September 11, 2001 causing them to collapse. Thousands of people died.

"It's a crisis," said 9/11 Health Now member Claire Calladine, who helped lead the Manhattan group to Washington, D.C. "We're talking about the decimation of thousands of families that stepped up for their country and are now being ignored."
And the demands are simple: affordable health care.

They will be meeting with members of Congress today. Funding for victims was cut by 77 percent in the proposed 2009 budget. Many of the victims suffer from lung illnesses such as emphysema and mesothelioma. The first responders are just asking for help in continuing to receive the care that they need. Many consider them heroes for their selfless and tireless actions at Ground Zero following the attacks.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Study Done on Preschoolers and World Trade Center

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:32:53 GMT

Researchers have finished a study on preschoolers who were exposed in some way to the events of September 11th. They wanted to access any long term effects or trauma that the children suffered from the World Trade Center attacks. Some of the children saw people fall from the tower or the towers collapse. They found that children that had a previous traumatic experience were more likely to suffer psychological effects years later. This study is another in a series trying to gauge the psychological side of World Trade Center Illness.

Children who had been rattled by a previous experience were about 20 times as likely to show signs of depression, anxiety, or attention deficits as children who had not known a significant trauma before Sept. 11.
"The optimistic part of this is that the kids who had no earlier traumas were doing fairly well, even though we set the bar very high for exposure to the World Trade Center attacks -- I mean, some of these kids were going to school practically across the street from the towers," said the lead author, Claude Chemtob, a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. His co-authors were Yoko Nomura and Dr. Robert A. Abramovitz.

Researchers interviewed the parents of 116 children that were between the ages of 1 and 5 on September 11th. The study was done in partnership with the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services in New York.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

World Trade Center Causing Heart Problems

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:42:17 GMT

The World Trade Center attacks on September 11th happened six years ago but for many people effects still linger. A new study by UC Irvine has shown that even people that were not directly affected by 9/11 may now be suffering heart problems because of stress. The study shows there may be more victims of World Trade Center Illness than previously thought.

Most of them had no pre-existing heart problems, and the results persisted even when risk factors such as high cholesterol, smoking and obesity were taken into account.
"It seems that the 9/11 attacks were so potent that media exposure helped to convey enough stress that people responded in a way that contributed to their cardiovascular problems," said Alison Holman, assistant professor of nursing science at UCI and the study's lead researcher.

An earlier study showed that 17 percent of Americans had symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder after 9/11. This study has found that for those that suffered from PTSD had more than double the risk of suffering heart problems.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann