The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, shocked the nation and left many people seriously injured, both as a result of their presence at the Twin Towers and due to their involvement in rescue or cleanup efforts following the attacks themselves. Twenty years later, the nation continues to remember the attacks and those victims. According to the official record, approximately 2,753 people died during the attacks on the Twin Towers, when terrorists deliberately flew two…

As the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks dawns, Congress is working to ensure that there is adequate funding to keep the World Trade Center Health Program running in the face of a substantial funding gap. A newly proposed bill, however, would pump an additional $7.3 billion into the fund to keep the program operational for another 10 years, with an additional 5 percent annual increase after that. If you have not yet applied…

Recently, it was announced that four lawmakers had introduced an act intended to address the funding shortfalls currently being experienced by the WTC Health Program. The 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act was introduced to the House by Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, and Andrew Garbarino, as well as to the Senate by Senator Kristin Gillibrand. All the lawmakers but Garbarino, who is a freshman, were original lead sponsors for the…

New Jersey Representative Mike Sherrill recently led a group of bipartisan congress members to draft a letter that was sent to the program administrator for the World Trade Center Health Program, urging him to hurry up and decide whether uterine cancer will be included in the list of covered conditions for the program. The letter followed the release of new scientific evidence that the chemicals present in the World Trade Center dust plume are commonly…

Twenty years have passed since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and once again, as the anniversary approaches, America remembers. With the 20th anniversary here, Thirteen seeks to acknowledge the devastating attacks and the losses faced by the American population with a message of hope and healing. It seeks to remember the heroes who lost their lives in the attack and honor the Americans who suffered serious injuries, severe diagnoses, and immense limitations as a…

Are you a 9/11 first responder, clean-up worker, or downtown resident, worker or student who is now suffering from illnesses related to toxic exposure at the attack site? Did you lose a loved one to a 9/11-related illness before they had a chance to obtain compensation and medical benefits for their illness? For individuals who were sickened (including many cancers) by their exposure to toxic materials in connection with the 9/11 attack and the aftermath…

Overview of 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) Deceased Claims Sadly, many 9/11-health conditions cause the deaths of the individuals who suffer from them. The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund permits a “personal representative” of a victim who has died to apply for VCF benefits to be paid to the victim’s estate and distributed according to the victim’s will or under applicable intestacy laws if the victim died without a will. This is known as a deceased …