More than 3,000 people died during the 9/11 terrorist attack. The attack changed American history forever, and we’re still feeling the effects. So many families lost a loved one, from those in the Towers to first responders.
However, since then, residual effects have also killed many. That is due mostly to the toxic dust cloud that rose from the wreckage. That dust cloud contained things like asbestos, lead, mercury, and many other contaminants.
People who breathed that in may have contracted cancer from it, and many other harmful conditions as well. That is why the government created the Victim Compensation Fund.
This is a fund to which victims can apply if they can establish a connection between their illness and toxic cloud exposure. Let’s look at some individuals who can apply.
First Responders
Many lower Manhattan residents may be eligible to recover compensation, but it makes sense that we should allow first responders to apply to the fund as well. Many rushed in to help, never thinking about their safety. They include:
Police
Firefighters
Medical workers
We owe these individuals a debt for their brave actions, especially as some of them sicken years later. We have already seen many of them die and develop respiratory issues, so it’s a great thing that the fund is in place to help them.
Downtown Residents
The toxic cloud spread throughout lower Manhattan when the Towers fell, and many individuals didn’t necessarily understand how bad it was to breathe it in. Those who lived close to the Towers faced exposure for days afterward. The shifting rubble caused particulate matter to blow through that part of the city, and many of those who lived there inhaled it.
It’s not just those who lived right around the Towers who might have inhaled the toxic dust. Other neighborhood residents might apply, like those living:
North, on Chambers Street
South, on Wall Street or Cortland Street
Some individuals feel like that part of the city is all commerce, but they forget that people live there. They can apply for compensation now if they’re sick.
Transit Workers
There was transit running in the days after the terrorist attack. The bus drivers and subway operators in the area were only sticking to their assigned routes.
It’s also possible they could become ill now. They can apply to the Victim Compensation Fund, even if they have long since retired or moved to different routes. They can even still apply if they no longer live in New York City.
Store Owners and Employees
There are also plenty of establishments in that area, including shops and restaurants. No one knew the dust cloud’s toxicity, so once the attack was over, some stores and dining establishments soon reopened. That means some employees and store owners were also back at work before it was necessarily safe to do so.
These individuals can apply to the fund if they’re getting sick now. The stores and restaurants at which they worked might still be there, or they may have closed in the nearly twenty years since the attack. In either case, the individuals who worked there might only now experience toxic cloud exposure illness.
Workers from Other Cities
In the time shortly after the attacks, New York needed help desperately. They called on support from nearby cities and counties. First responders such as police, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, etc. came to assist.
Toxic cloud exposure for these individuals is possible as well. They arrived in the hours after the attack to help try to shift the rubble and to assist the victims that rescuers pulled from the wreckage. They also might experience illness now, and the fund is in place to help them as well.
Any of the individuals we mentioned can apply for compensation if they’re getting sick. There is no limit on how long you can wait to apply if you were there and the Towers falling directly affected you.
The only thing you have to do is prove a conclusive link between yourself and that area at the time. Current or former residents must establish that they lived there or continue to do so. First responders must show proof that they took part in the rescue or cleanup efforts.
Whether you helped save people following the attack or you worked or lived around the Towers, you deserve help if you’re experiencing illness now. Reach out to the Victim’s Compensation Fund and get the assistance you deserve.