9/11 personal injury compensation to go ahead
Thousands of emergency workers and first responders who attended Ground Zero after the World Trade Centre terrorist attack in 2001, who have consequently become ill as a result of inhaling poisonous dust at the site, are finally going to get personal injury compensation.
After a long legal battle the lawyers representing New York City, construction companies, and over 10,000 rescue and recovery workers, have agreed a compensation claim settlement.
This could total to $657.5m (£433.3m) being paid to those who can prove they worked at the site or at facilities, which handled Ground Zero debris, and have become ill as a result.
For the proposed personal injury compensation settlement to go ahead, 95 percent of affected workers will have to agree to its terms.
Some workers will receive damages of a few thousand dollars and some will receive over $1m, depending on the severity of their illness or work accident related injury.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the settlement "a fair and reasonable resolution to a complex set of circumstances".
"The resolution of the World Trade Centre litigation will allow the first responders and workers to be compensated for injuries suffered following their work at Ground Zero," he said.
Updated on 23/03/2010