Law

What Is the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund?

What Is the 9:11 Victim Compensation Fund?

Congress established the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund to compensate victims and families of the September 11 attacks. The fund was created to provide a single, streamlined program for all claims related to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The law establishing the fund also authorized funding for medical monitoring and treatment.

Who Is Eligible for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund?

To qualify for financial compensation from the Victims Compensation Fund, victims must prove their exposure to airborne toxins during the disaster. There are five categories of eligibility that rely on this criterion:

1) As a first responder

2) At or near Ground Zero

3) At or near the Pentagon

4) In downtown Manhattan south of Canal Street on September 11

5) Rescue, recovery, or cleanup work related to these areas.

Benefits of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund offers several benefits to those who suffered from physical injuries and mental illness due to their exposure to September 11, 2001. The fund covers various health problems, including psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. It also covers medical expenses related to treatment for these conditions, such as hospital bills, prescription medications, and therapy sessions.

In addition to medical bills, damages awarded by the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund can include lost income from unemployment or disability payments, out-of-pocket expenses like funeral costs, non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, and loss of companionship when there is no surviving spouse or child.

Basically, the VCF offers compensation for a range of expenses, including home care services and wages lost because of inability to work, mental health therapy, physical rehabilitation; cost of transportation to treatment; housekeeping services needed because of physical injury or illness; medical equipment, supplies and prescription drugs needed because of physical injury or mental illness; and housing modifications needed because of physical injury or mental illness. The program also offers compensation for non-economic losses such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional trauma, and loss of companionship.

What to Expect If Your Claim is Approved by the Court?

If the court approves your claim, you will receive compensation for the following:

Medical treatment expenses related to physical injuries, including mental health care costs related to physical injuries

Lost wages from work-related injuries or illnesses, past or future, lost earnings due to permanent disability, death, or loss of support from survivors, funeral expenses incurred as a result of someone’s death due to 9/11-related injuries and lost support from survivors for dependents who died as a result of 9/11-related injuries.

Key Takeaway

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund was established under the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to recompense those who sustained severe injuries or were killed on September 11, 2001, in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., or aboard aircraft hijacked during the attacks. The fund also provides compensation to family members of those who died due to their injuries.

Arnold Bloom

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