What Our Clients are Saying
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WTC HERO Blog
World Trade Center Litigation
- The Battle of 9/11 Ailing First Responders
- When Heroes Get Sick - Part 1, Andrew Porazzo
- September 11th Firefighter Gets New Lung & Regains Spirits
- Judge Hellerstein Finally Sets Trial Dates For WTC Lawsuits
- Can the Economic Crisis Deter the 9/11 Memorial from being completed?
- Scars from 9/11 In Memoriam
- 7th Anniversary of 9/11 Evokes a Multitude of Feelings
- Charity for 9/11 Firefighters Fail’s to Live up to Promises
- Injuries already occurring a mist the new WTC building
- City Questions 9/11 Workers’ Claims of Illness
General
Legal News
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World Trade Center Settlement Gets Backing Needed to Take Effect
– New York Law Journal
(November 22, 2010) Enough plaintiffs have accepted a massive settlement of claims alleging respiratory and other health problems from the post-9/11 response and cleanup at the World Trade Center site to seal the deal. Read more… -
10,563 Ground Zero 9/11 Workers Agree On $625 Million Settlement
– Medical News Today
(November 21, 2010) 10,563 ground zero workers who inhaled toxic dust and risked health consequences have agreed on a $625 settlement and ceased suing - the amount could go as high as $815 million.
Read more… -
9/11 Health Deal Gets OK
– The Wall Street Journal
(November 20, 2010) More than 95% of Ground Zero workers agreed to accept a settlement of long-running litigation over respiratory diseases and other injuries suffered in recovery operations following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.
Read more… -
Deal settles most lawsuits over WTC toxic dust
– The Associated Press (AP)
(November 19, 2010) A deal reached by New York City and workers exposed to toxic dust that blanketed ground zero after Sept. 11 will resolve an overwhelming majority of the lawsuits over the city's failure to provide protective equipment to the responders. Read more… -
Ground Zero workers exposed to toxic dust take pay deal
– BBC
(November 19, 2010) Thousands of workers exposed to toxic dust after the 2001 terror attacks in New York have accepted a legal settlement and ceased litigation. Read more… -
Lawyers: Sickened 9/11 Workers Reach Settlement Deal With City
– NY1
(November 19, 2010) By Friday, more than 10,000 people who became ill from working conditions at the World Trade Center site following the September 11th terrorist attacks had accepted a settlement deal with the city. Read more…
Press Release!
Concerning the Timeline of Distribution of Settlement Funds
Dear Client:
As the media reported late last week, we have reached the required 95% opt-in threshold necessary before the settlement with the City of New York and its contractors can take effect. Many of our clients have been asking when settlement checks will be distributed. As we will explain in this e-mail, several things need to take place before the Allocation Neutral can begin sending out checks. In the meantime, we ask that you refrain from contacting our firm to ask about the checks, because there is nothing we can do to make this process move faster.
Reaching the 95% opt-in threshold does not by itself trigger the distribution of payments to Plaintiffs. The "trigger date" of the settlement, called the Final Settlement Agreement Effective Date ("Effective Date"), is reached when parties sign a document that is part of the settlement agreement, specifically Exhibit R - Affirmation of Final Settlement Agreement. We believe that this will occur within the next few weeks after counsel for the WTC Captive Insurance Company, Inc. and its insureds (the City and its contractors) have reviewed and verified enough releases and second injury letters to satisfy the opt-in thresholds and other requirements described in Section VI.D of the Settlement Process Agreement ("SPA"). We will post the Effective Date on our website shortly after this event occurs. In any case, we do not believe that any checks will go out prior to the first of the year.
Once again, for the time being, please do not contact the firm about your settlement check. We realize that you have waited a very long time for resolution of these matters and we greatly appreciate your continued patience while all of the administrative details required by the SPA are completed. We also are eager to finalize the settlement. In the meantime, we wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.
The timeline of distribution and other events once the settlement is final is shown in the attached chart, but the number of days shown do not begin to run until the Effective Date, which has not yet occurred. The chart can also be viewed on our website, www.877wtchero.com. Click on the link titled Exhibit J - Allocation Process Timeline.pdf.
Best Regards,
WORBY GRONER EDELMAN & NAPOLI BERN LLP
* * * This communication has been approved by Court-appointed Professor of Ethics, Roy D. Simon. * * *
Quick Contact
Napoli Bern LLP
Toll Free: 877 WTC HERO
Phone: 212 267 3700
Metlife Critical Injury Insurance FAQs
Metlife Critical Injury Insurance FAQs
- What is MetLife’s Critical Injury Insurance?
- If I don’t agree to participate in the settlement, can I still get the MetLife Critical Injury Policy?
- How does the MetLife Critical Injury Insurance work?
- What if I am diagnosed with a covered cancer?
- Will I need to prove that my cancer was caused by my exposure to Ground Zero dust or a result of my work at Ground Zero?
- How do I enroll?
- Why do I need to designate a beneficiary? Can I change the beneficiary at any point in time?
- Has this Insurance been approved by the New York State Insurance Department?
- What if I have more questions?
Zadroga Act
FAQs
World Trade Center Litigation
- Who is eligible to participate in this settlement process?
- What Defendants are involved in this settlement process?
- What Defendants are not involved in this settlement process?
Videos
World Trade Center Litigation:
- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Questions 9/11 Health Claims Hearing
- Nadler Questions at 9/11 Health Claims Hearing
- Conyers Questions at 9/11 Health Claims Hearing