Saudi Arabia Seeks to Dismiss JASTA Lawsuit, Deceiving Veterans
The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) is a law enacted to enable citizens to litigate against foreign governments accused of being involved with terrorist organizations. The Washington Post suggests that one targetted nation, Saudi Arabia, may have deceived U.S. veterans in an attempt to dismiss JASTA lawsuit cases … [Read more...]
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Prevalent in WTC Firefighters
Researchers recently released the results of a 15-year "longitudinal study" regarding the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as "GERD," in firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The results of the study indicate that firefighters suffering from chronic obstructive … [Read more...]
Program Created to Help Obtain Medical Equipment for 9/11 First Responders
9/11 First Responders Necessary Medical Equipment. In a heartwarming story reported by NY1 Staten Island, a terminally ill first responder who spent weeks after the 9/11 terror attacks assisting in rescue and recovery efforts has finally received a motorized wheelchair. In December of 2017, Sal Turturici, a father of three who … [Read more...]
Children Exposed to 9/11 Toxins Face Ongoing Health Risks
9/11 Toxins Health Risks To Children. Even 16 years after the September 11 World Trade Center terrorist attacks, serious health effects are still unfolding for people exposed to the toxins released that day. New research shows that children who lived in lower Manhattan at the time of the attacks and were exposed to the toxic dust … [Read more...]
FDNY Veteran, 9/11 Hero and Advocate Dies of WTC-Related Cancer
9/11 Community Mourns Death of Ray Pfeifer of WTC-Related Cancer. Ray Pfeifer, a 27-year FDNY veteran and 9/11 advocate who spent roughly 8 months sifting through the debris at Ground Zero, has died of cancer related to toxic dust exposure at the World Trade Center (WTC). After becoming ill, the 59-year-old retired firefighter … [Read more...]
New York Legislature Passes 9/11 Sick Leave for Former NYPD Officers
A 48-year-old career police officer from Bellport, New York was a key figure working for passage of a bill to provide unlimited sick leave for former New York City police officers now with other police agencies who are suffering 9/11-related cancers and other illnesses. The bill addresses the plight of officers who worked at the … [Read more...]
Death Toll due to 9/11 Toxic Dust May Rise by Millions
When two aircraft hit the World Trade Center’s north and south towers on September 11, 2001, more than 2,700 people were killed. It has been called the most infamous terror attack in modern history. The death toll as a result of the toxic dust that covered New York City when the Twin Towers collapsed, could reach into the … [Read more...]
First Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act Filed (JASTA)
JASTA is the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act Parker Waichman LLP is investigating potential lawsuits on behalf of individuals who have suffered physical injuries, medical conditions, and property damage as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, in addition to surviving families of individuals killed on … [Read more...]
Legislation to Help Fallen Officers’ Families
The Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act Legislation Unanimously Passes the Senate In a release issued on May 17, 2017 by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Grassley, the United States Senate unanimously passed legislation to help families of fallen officers. The legislation will reduce the backlog of … [Read more...]
9/11 Families Hope Lawsuit Against Saudi Arabia Will Move Forward
Congress Votes in Favor of JASTA Bill, Allows Countries to be Sued for Terrorist Activities Families who want to sue the nation of Saudi Arabia over the 9/11 terrorist attacks are hoping that their lawsuit will move forward in light of recent events in Congress. Last fall, Congress voted to override Obama’s veto of the Justice … [Read more...]
First Responder from Long Island Succumbs to 9/11-Related Cancer
Disease from exposure to toxins at Ground Zero A first responder from Oyster Bay, lost his battle with brain cancer on April 1, 2017. Doctors said he had developed the disease from exposure to toxins at Ground Zero in 2001. Michael Shea was with the Nassau County Police Department for 26 years. He was promoted to lieutenant in April … [Read more...]
Five 9/11 First Responders Die in One Week
Since September 2016, 55 first responders have died from 9/11-related illnesses, according to first responder foundation founder John Feal. Within the last week, five first responders – three FDNY (Fire Department of New York) and two NYPD (New York Police Department) employees, have passed away from Ground-Zero related … [Read more...]
9/11 Attacks Linked to Higher Rates of Heart Disease
9/11 Responders Became Anxious and Stressed. Americans who said they became anxious and stressed after the September 11th terrorist attacks—some from merely watching the collapse of New York’s Twin Towers on television—reported higher rates of heart disease up to three years later, researchers said. While several studies found high … [Read more...]
Nearly 40000 People Have 911-Related Health Problems
911-Related Health Problems. It has been fifteen years since 9/11, and nearly 40,000 people are suffering from health problems related to the attacks. When the towers fell, they released a hazardous mix of toxins and irritants that included asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), benzene, dioxin, glass fibers, gypsum, cement … [Read more...]
Study Looks At Post-911 Asthma Control In Adolescents
Post-911 Asthma Control In Adolescents. The journal Pediatric Research has published a study analyzing asthma control in adolescents who were exposed to the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 and diagnosed with asthma afterwards. Researchers analyzed asthma control 10 to 11 years post-9/11 in adolescents who were exposed. The WTC … [Read more...]
World Trade Center Emergency Workers
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Reopened on October 3, 2011 Under the 2010 Zadroga Act, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has been reopened for five years to provide payment for job and economic losses for those who suffered illness or injury working at Ground Zero. Parker Waichman LLP is working closely with Sheila Birnbaum, … [Read more...]
9/11 Toxic Exposures and Pediatric Asthma
Among the many health concerns that have arisen since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there are concerns about asthma diagnosed in children and teenagers who were exposed to toxins during and following the September 11, 2001 attacks. A September 2016 article in Pediatric Research reviewed both asthma and asthma control in exposed … [Read more...]
A 9/11 First Responder Continues to Fight for Benefits
Many 9/11 first responders continue to cope with the adverse reactions that followed the September 11th terrorist attacks. In once case, a man reached out to NY1.com for assistance just a few months following the attacks. With the 15th anniversary of the attacks, a former paramedic and first responder said he still feels the … [Read more...]
9/11 Health Problems Persist, Cleaner Battles Breast Cancer
When the towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001, massive volumes of toxic dust were released into the air. In the years to come, researchers would show that the dust contained a hazardous mix of toxic chemicals. Exposure to the toxic dust at Ground Zero has now been linked to many different health problems, such as respiratory conditions and … [Read more...]
9/11 Exposure Linked to Prostate Cancer, Heart Problems
Doctors are getting a better sense of health problems associated with exposure to the hazardous substances at Ground Zero. Prostate cancer, premature stiffening of the heart and thyroid cancers are turning up as key medical problems among 9/11 responders. Health experts presenting data at a Manhattan symposium say that newly … [Read more...]
NY Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation to Extend 9/11 Worker and Volunteer Benefits
New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo just signed legislation to extend the deadline for 9/11 responders to register under the World Trade Center Disability Law. The legislation, signed on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, extends the deadline to September 11, 2018, enabling rescue and recovery workers additional time to … [Read more...]
The James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Passes
Zadroga Act Reauthorized Year-End 2015Following approval of the $8.1 billion measure to renew the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, President Obama signed the bill into law on December 18, 2015, reauthorizing the Act. The reauthorized James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act passed in December 2015 will provide … [Read more...]
COPD is Now Independently Covered Under Zadroga Act
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now covered under the Zadroga Act as an independent injury, meaning that 9/11 victims can file a claim for COPD alone without a prior diagnosis or association with another respiratory condition. Previously, Zadroga benefits only applied for pre-September 11th COPD that was worsened by … [Read more...]
Study Shows 9-11 Exposure Linked to Preterm and Low-Birthweight Babies
Years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in lower Manhattan, the event may have affected women and their babies who were not even conceived on September 11, 2001, according to a new study. Researchers found that women rescue and recovery workers at the World Trade Center site and women who lived below Canal Street—those … [Read more...]
9/11 Response Linked to Memory Problems, Study Finds
Most of the research involving 9/11 responders focuses on physical health problems such as cancer and respiratory disorders. A new study, however, suggests that rescue and recovery workers may also be at increased risk for cognitive impairment, a leading risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Individuals … [Read more...]
Study: PTSD in 9/11 Workers Associated with Increased Risk of Asthma
A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the attacks were more likely to develop new-onset asthma. The longitudinal study, which conducted a follow-up after about 5 years, was conducted by … [Read more...]
New Claims Accepted for September 11 Victim Compensation Fund
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya announced at the beginning of August that the VCF is again accepting new claims using a redesigned claim form with an improved online claims system. Individuals who do not have consistent Internet access will still be able to file a hard copy claim using … [Read more...]
Cancer Diagnoses Linked to Ground Zero Tripled in Recent Years
More than 5,400 individuals including first responders along with residents or employees who worked in the vicinity of the World Trade Center (WTC), have been diagnosed with 9/11-linked cancers. The medical director, Dr. Michael Crane, of the WTC Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital, remarked of the alarming increase in numbers … [Read more...]
9/11 Responders Continue to Suffer WTC-Related Injuries
It has been nearly 15 years since the 9/11 attacks, and first responders and residents continue to face chronic health problems related to toxic dust exposure. Officially, the disaster area extends from the World Trade Center site to the western edges of Brooklyn, covers lower Manhattan and reaches the tip of Governor’s Island. When … [Read more...]
9/11 First Responders Have Not Made Significant Lung Function Recovery Since WTC-Exposure
A new study published online in the journal Chest, says New York firefighters exposed to toxins in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks lost, on average, 10 percent of lung function after 9/11, and they experienced little recovery over the first six years. The article’s authors—public health, pulmonary, and epidemiology … [Read more...]
VCF Deadline Approaches for Some Individuals Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
For some, the deadline to register for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) is quickly approaching. According to The PBA Beat, members who were diagnosed with prostate cancer on or before October 21, 2013 must register with the Fund by October 21, 2015 to protect their eligibility to file a claim. The VCF provides … [Read more...]
9/11 Responders and Workers Release Video Urging Extension of Zadroga Act
An advocacy group for 9/11 responders and clean-up workers, Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act, has released a video, urging Congress to renew the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The Zadroga Act provides treatment and compensation for those who were injured or became ill after exposure to toxins in … [Read more...]
Senators Lead Push to Renew Zadroga Act
U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) are leading the push to renew the Zadroga Act, which provides medical treatment, monitoring and compensation to rescue workers who were injured as a result of 9/11. According to a press release posted on Senator Gillibrand's website, the senators have announced a passage … [Read more...]
Four Cancers Added to Zadroga Act, More WTC First Responders Eligible
Recent changes will allow more 9/11 first responders to receive compensation under the Zadroga Act. World Trade Center Health Program Administrator John Howard M.D. said in legal documents that the definition of “rare cancers” is being expanded to include the following: Malignant Neoplasm of the Cervix Uteri (invasive cervical … [Read more...]
Health troubles persist for 9/11 rescue workers
9/11 Rescue Workers Lungs Were So Scarred That Needed Supplemental Oxygen. It was late in the night when James Zadroga, sleeping beside his 4-year-old daughter, woke up to fetch her some milk. It was no easy errand: The former New York City police detective's lungs were so scarred that he needed supplemental oxygen to breathe. In … [Read more...]
