WTC Lawsuits To Begin In 2010
Posted by
Chrissie ColeDecember 14, 2008 4:58 PM
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.