Reflecting on 9/11

For many Gen Z people, 9/11 is a history lesson. But for the New Yorkers who witnessed it, the pain is real, and it never goes away. We also remember all 9/11 victims, including the individuals on the flights and at the Pentagon.

The Zadroga Act, which the government recently extended through 2090, compensates 9/11 injury victims and their families. A prior similar effort in 2006 failed. Zadroga reauthorization 2.0 seemed doomed for failure as well, until advocates, like Paul Napoli, pushed for passage. Good lawyers advocate for their clients in the statehouse as well as the courthouse. When appropriate laws are on the books, victims have a much better chance of obtaining just compensation for their serious injuries.

Acute Traumatic Injuries

Many people at or near Ground Zero sustained head injuries and other ATIs. Frequently, these individuals got patched up at hospitals and then gave up their spots to free up space for more “seriously injured” victims.

Even though their injuries occurred more than twenty years ago, these individuals could be eligible for Zadroga Act compensation, if they meet other eligibility requirements.

These requirements include location requirements. 9/11 survivors or deceased victims must have been inside (worked, lived or attended school/day-care facilities) the NYC Exposure Zone. This zone includes several NYC neighborhoods, namely; SoHo, Tribeca, Chinatown, Lower East Side, Battery Park, Bowling Green, and Greenwich Village. The exposure zone also encompasses areas along/related to routes used in the removal/transportation of debris from the attack site. 

Aerodigestive Injuries

The location requirements also apply to victims with asthma, GERD, airway or digestive disorders, and sleep apnea. Additionally, all claimants must establish zone presence between September 11, 2001 and May 30, 2002.

Aerodigestive Injuries, like the two conditions discussed below, are usually related to the toxic cloud of smoke and dust that covered much of New York City after 9/11.

These diseases are significant. By 2018, diseases like cancer and aerodigestive injuries had already caused more injuries and deaths than the injuries sustained on 9/11 itself. This figure gets larger every year.

Krebs

The toxic dust/smoke cloud was laced with various harmful particles, mostly asbestos and heavy metals, like mercury. These toxins cause other kinds of cancer as well.

Asbestos fibers cause mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer that’s difficult to diagnose and treat.

Many diseases could have a long latency period, and most environmental cancer victims don’t have cancer markers, like certain lifestyle habits or genetic vulnerabilities. As a result, when initial symptoms appear, many patients and doctors don’t think cancer is a possibility. So, the cancer tumor spreads and soon becomes untreatable.

Heavy metal particles often cause brain cancer, an illness that has the same diagnosis and treatment issues mentioned above. Additionally, brain cancer symptoms often don’t slowly occur over time. Many of these victims almost literally wake up one morning and have almost no mental function.

Mental and Behavioral Health Conditions 

These illnesses include PTSD, depression, and substance abuse. Frequently, these conditions overlap. Many PTSD victims self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, causing comorbid PTSD, a condition that’s much harder to treat.

PTSD is hard enough to treat as it is. Only a handful of drugs are available, and these drugs usually treat the symptoms, but not the cause. More on that below. Additionally, therapy, a necessary component of a treatment plan, may not work for everyone.

9/11 was a life-changing day that caused life-changing injuries. For a free consultation with an experienced lawyer in New York, wenden Sie sich an Napoli Shkolnik.