Daniel J. Hansen of Turley, Hansen & Partners says the Justice Department’s new draft rules for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund will allow more people to be eligible for the fund thanks to the proposed expansion of the coverage area for those near Ground Zero, but added those who were mentally or emotionally affected by the 9/11 attacks should be entitled to compensation as well.

The Justice Department, through the new Victim Compensation Fund Special Master, Sheila Birnbaum, Esq., recently published new rules on eligibility for the fund. Under the proposed rules, the coverage area would be expanded to cover areas in Manhattan south of Reade Street, Centre Street and the Brooklyn Bridge. However, the Justice Department added that the money would not go to those who claim to have suffered solely from mental disorders as a result of the 9/11 attacks. The draft definitions are currently subject to public comment 45 days from when the definitions were proposed.
 
The Zadroga Act is named after James Zadroga, a New York City police detective who died in 2006 from respiratory disease as the result of inhaling toxins while working at Ground Zero. Under the Zadroga Act, $2.8 billion will be provided for the Victims Compensation Fund.

While Mr. Hansen agrees that the Justice Department should expand the geographic borders to make sure those who suffered from physical ailments as a result from the 9/11 attacks, he believes that those who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder should also be included. “Anyone who has been seriously affected by the 9/11 attacks should be fairly compensated.

For the past nine years, the attorneys at Turley, Hansen & Partners have been representing victims of 9/11. The firm is currently accepting Zadroga Act Victim Compensation Fund cases for clients who want them to fully prepare their claims by gathering all needed medical and financial information prior to the fund’s reopening this summer.