For further information, please see the Registration and Other Deadlines Frequently Asked Questions on the VCF website. Box 34500, Washington, D.C. 20043; and request the employer verification letter to confirm your work location between September 11, 2001, and May 30, 2002, for your 9/11 Victim Compensation claim to be sent directly to the VCF at our official email address, VCF.Thirdpartyverification@usdoj.gov. See Section 6.5 for additional details and important information regarding the documentation that must be submitted, specific instructions for signing and submitting each of the required authorizations and forms, and an explanation of how any payment will be made on the claim. If the VCF needs additional information from you after reviewing your claim form and the letter, the VCF will contact you. If you were represented by Douglas & London or Napoli, Bern, Ripka, Shkolnik (Napoli Bern) in your lawsuit, you generally do not need to submit additional documents related to your settlement because the VCF may be able to get the necessary information from Douglas & London or Napoli Bern. If an attorney signed and submitted the release on behalf of the individual or the individual's dependent, spouse, or beneficiary, a copy of the retainer agreement with the attorney in the settled lawsuit must be submitted as proof that the attorney was authorized to sign the release. If you were a CWA member who worked for Lucent Technologies in 2001, the VCF may be able to obtain records confirming presence. If the VCF needs additional information from you after reviewing your claim form and the letter, the VCF will contact you. Therefore, settlement payments from lawsuits that were timely settled and released will be deducted from VCF awards. Although the VCF encourages you to file your claim after you have been certified by the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program for a 9/11-related physical health condition and as soon as the full scope of your claimed losses are known so that your claim for compensation can be reviewed as quickly as possible, the last date on which anyone can file a claim is October 1, 2090. On July 29, 2019, the President signed into law The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund(VCF Permanent Authorization Act), Public Law No. Below is a sample of some of our recent awards for our clients: $4.4 million. It will speed the processing of your claim if Bank of America sends the letter directly to the VCF on your behalf. The VCF will also seek information from the WTC Health Program for deceased individuals whose condition(s) was certified by the WTC Health Program prior to death, upon submission of an Exhibit A(for Deceased Individuals) by the victims authorized Personal Representative. It is also helpful if you specify your job title within EMS during the period beginningon September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002. It is important that you respond to all missing information letters within the timeframe specified in the letter. A 9/11-related lawsuit is any civil action in which you are seeking to recover damages based on your presence at a 9/11 crash site, your exposure to toxins, or a theory of causation related to your VCF-eligible condition or a VCF- compensable death (e.g., product liability, medical malpractice, etc.). In the Health Program, exposure is defined as the duration of time (hours) between September 11, 2001, and July 31, 2002, that an individual was within the defined NIOSH New York City Disaster Area and inhaled a specified level of dust and/or smoke. The Claim Filing Deadline is the same for everyone. Different types of documentation are required depending on the representatives relationship to the victim. If you submit Letters of Administration, Letters Testamentary, or other Court Order that includes limitations that interfere with the VCFs ability to process or pay your claim, you will be advised in writing and given time to obtain the appropriate documentation. Your prior eligible condition has substantially worsened, resulting in damages or loss that was not previously compensated. If this happens, the VCF will contact the employer or organization to try and get additional details. Every year, another 15,000 Veterans are diagnosed with prostate cancer. If you do not have access to email, you may call human resources at 212-393-2222 and request a WTC verification letter to be sent directly to the VCF. The two types of primary evidence described above (Third-Party Verification or Contemporaneous Documents) are the best evidence that an individual was present during the relevant period. Once you have qualified and received a completed proof of presence letter, you can upload it to your online claim or mail it to the VCF. If you are not certified by the WTC Health Program and have no other determination that your condition is 9/11-related, then you may register at any time. 111-347. So if the first date an individual was present in the NYC Exposure Zone after 9/11 was September 14, 2001, the . It is therefore very important that you claim all losses and submit the required supporting documentation when you file your claim. For deceased individuals, the Personal Representative will waive his/her rights to file any future action seeking compensation for the decedent's death. If you or a loved one suffer from prostate cancer related to exposure from September 11th, contact a 9/11 prostate cancer attorney at Pitta & Baione by completing our online contact form or calling us at 844-982-2667. The VCF Act establishes certain caps on non-economic awards for physical injury claims. To be eligible for compensation, the VCFAct requires an individual to have suffered physical harm or death as a result of one of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or debris removal. You should contact the employee verifications team by email at GS-HCM-Help-Americas@ny.email.gs.com and request an employment verification letter. or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The VCF might also increase an award if your certified condition worsens. Note: The VCF has agreements with certain employers, unions, and other organizations to provide information about presence in support of VCF claims. Any location used for the repair, cleaning, or rehabilitation of vehicles or equipment contaminated by WTC-related debris. This means that you waive your right to be party to a future lawsuit even before the VCF determines whether or not you are entitled to compensation. If you had filed a 9/11-related lawsuit at any time prior to submitting a VCF claim, there are specific dates by which you must have withdrawn or dismissed that lawsuit in order to be eligible for compensation from the VCF. When you call, you will be asked to provide your full name so the Service Center can look up your work history. $10 billion is available for office workers through the Victim Compensation Fund. For uniformed NYPD members, the VCF will consider the documents listed below helpful in establishing presence. If you would like the VCF to contact the U.S. Department of Labor, you must contact the VCF Helpline to request a FECA Authorization Form, and then submit the completed form to the VCF. The VCF considers the totality of the circumstances in each individual case and will consider a wide range of documents to support presence. (LockA locked padlock) Note that these records provided to the VCF do not include all NYCTA employees who were involved in the emergency response effort. Skin Cancer. In order to process a claim filed by someone other than the victim, the Special Master must first validate the individuals authority to represent the victim for the VCF claim. As a result, FDNY firefighters and fire officers do not need to submit any documents as proof of presence at the site unless the VCF specifically requests such documents. Show that you have a 9/11-related physical injury or condition that is certified for treatment by the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program or, in limited circumstances, that you have a physical injury or condition that was treated by your private physician and verified as 9/11-related through the VCFs, Show that you were present at one of the attack sites, within the. Examples of lawsuits that fall into this category include (but are not limited to) the following lawsuits filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York: Claimants who participate in a lawsuit under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), Pub. Call the VCF Helpline at 1-855-885-1555 to register by phone. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS First, you may pursue a civil action to recover collateral source obligations. Note for Local 1101 CWA Verizon employees, including Empire City Subway: we have an arrangement with CWA Local 1101 to get information directly from them for members who participated in the World Trade Center response. Winning multiple awards, Pitta & Baione is known to receive maximum compensation for their clients. In order to be eligible for compensation under the VCF, an individual must have been present at a 9/11 crash site or in locations of debris removal at any point during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002. One out of every nine men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. What are the VCF payouts and how likely you will get one? This relatively common form of cancer tends to be found in older men, especially those who have other significant health issues. 9/11 Lawyers for WTC Victim Compensation Fund Claims | Hansen & Rosasco Examples of contemporaneous documents that may be helpful in proving presence are listed below. But if the new condition is a cancer and the award was only based on a non-cancer, you might consider amending your claim. Highlights. You may submit either a court order establishing that the action has been discontinued and/or dismissed, dated on or before January 2, 2012, or a notice/letter of withdrawal filed on the Electronic Case Files (ECF) system in the relevant docket on or before January 2, 2012. The VCF provides compensation for losses resulting from physical injuries and conditions related to 9/11 exposure. A complete copy of each document must be submitted, unless otherwise specified below. If you were employed by Goldman Sachs and worked at a Goldman Sachs office located in the NYC Exposure Zone during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002, Goldman Sachs may be able to provide you with a letter verifying your presence. You may register at any time, so long as you do so before your individual deadline as outlined above. If you are unable to obtain these types of documents, the Special Master will consider sworn Witness Presence Statements from people who can attest to your presence at a 9/11 crash site or in the NYC Exposure Zone. You suffered a new loss that you had not suffered at the time of the VCF1 claim filing for example, if you were previously compensated for non-economic loss only and have since been determined to be totally disabled due to an eligible condition, you can amend the claim to seek economic loss. If you have a document that you believe can be used to support your claim or your presence at a 9/11 site and it is not on the list below, you should submit the document to the VCF to be reviewed. Documents in this category should be certified or be accompanied by a letter from an employee of the school or day care facility, or from your legal counsel (if an attorney is assisting you with your claim), confirming that the document submitted is a true and accurate copy. If you want to request that your claim be denied because you are not able to locate documents that show your presence, you should submit a letter to the VCF with a detailed explanation of the documents you have attempted to locate and the reason they were not available, and request a denial for purposes of holding an eligibility hearing. Lawsuits filed after November 2016 are prohibited by the general statutory requirement that a claimant cannot have an active 9/11related lawsuit at the same time as a VCF claim, and filing a lawsuit after November 2016 waives your right to file a claim with the VCF. This is condition specific that is, timely dismissal based on specific conditions does not render earlier conditions for which an individual may be certified or verified (on which a lawsuit was not timely dismissed) eligible for compensation. Please contact Gregory Cannata & Associates today at 1-888-982-8428 to schedule your free initial consultation. Once we confirm we have a complete Signature Page and Exhibit A, we contact the WTC Health Program for information about your certified condition(s). The original VCF (VCF I) operated from 2001-2004 under the direction of Special Master Kenneth Feinberg, and distributed over $7 billion. [3] The VCF clarified the rule regarding lawsuit dismissals and newly covered conditions in November 2016. The form includes detailed instructions on how to complete it and where to send it once it is complete. Office workers who have become ill or who have died from conditions, including 69 different cancers, may be eligible for cash compensation. This includes confirming that (a) the claim was registered by the applicable deadline, (b) you have an eligible 9/11-related physical condition, (c) there is sufficient documentation to demonstrate that you were present at the site, and (d) any 9/11-related lawsuits have been timely resolved. 9/11 Prostate Cancer WTCHP & VCF Claims | Pitta & Baione All documents submitted for a claim are subject to verification and authentication procedures undertaken independently by the VCF. Individuals with questions about those settlements should contact their lawyers. To be eligible for an award from the VCF, you must meet the following criteria: There are two deadlines in the VCFs claim filing process:aClaim Filing Deadlineand aRegistration Deadline. The deadline to file a VCF claim (and any supporting documents) is October 1, 2090. If, however, your certified condition is not among the list of conditions that the VCF considers to be presumptively severe and it significantly impairs activities of daily living, or if the certification does not reflect the severity of the condition, you may want to submit supporting medical documentation related to your condition to help the VCF evaluate the severity and effect of the condition in order to determine whether an increased non-economic loss award within the appropriate range is warranted. The VCF Act defines immediate aftermath as any period beginning with the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, and ending on May 30, 2002. There are no requirements for the minimum amount of time an individual needed to be at a site for purposes of confirming presence. You may be eligible for additional compensation if: Note: There are two objectives when evaluating whether a claimant who already received an award in VCF1 should be awarded additional compensation in VCF2 for exacerbated or new injuries: (1) avoiding the reassessment or recalculation of any component of the VCF1 award or changing any assumption applied in making that calculation, and (2) avoiding duplication of any component of the award that was already made in VCF1. The VCF (which stands for "Victim Compensation Fund") provides financial compensation for those who were physically injured or died as a result of an eligible 9/11-related illness (these include cancer claims ). On December 18, 2015, the President signed into law the James Zadroga 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Reauthorization Act (Reauthorized Zadroga Act), Public Law No. The letter will explain why the document(s) was not sufficient, and will include information about what you can do to correct the document, or suggest additional ways you may prove your presence. If you were a Sanitation employee during the period beginning onSeptember 11, 2001, throughMay 30, 2002, the VCF will contact the Sanitation Department to confirm your presence in the NYC Exposure Zone. The VCF will contact the WTC Health Program directly to confirm you have an eligible certified condition. Please be aware that the WTC Health Program will prioritize patients who need treatment for appointments over those seeking certifications to support their VCF claims. To be eligible for compensation from the VCF, you must have a physical injury or condition caused by the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or the rescue, recovery, and debris removal efforts during the immediate aftermath. You should call the Bank of America Service Center at 1-800-556-6044 and request that they send the VCF a 9/11 work location history letter detailing your specific office address(es) during that time. Over 70 cancers including Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer and many others plus breathing and digestive conditions. If you were a DC-37 union member, your union may be able to provide information and/or documentation to support presence for purposes of your VCF claim. You should contact the FBI Call Center at 202-324-3333 to request the FBI proof of presence letter and once received, upload it to your claim or mail it to the VCF. Section 2: Calculation of Loss (Compensation) | VCF The VCF encourages you to file your claim after you have been certified and the full scope of your losses are known so that we can review your claim as quickly as possible to evaluate your eligibility for compensation. Therefore, you should still submit other evidence (such as contemporaneous documents, Witness Presence Statements, or affidavits) demonstrating that you were physically present in the NYC Exposure Zone during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002. 104.61, any person who has filed or is a party to a lawsuit seeking damages for injuries sustained as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or for damages arising from or related to debris removal may not file a claim with the Special Master unless they withdraw from such action not later than January 2, 2012.. If you did not experience any physical injury or condition as a result of September 11th, but you experienced emotional or mental harm, you are not eligible for compensation from the VCF. Howard made a final determination to add Prostate Cancer to the list of Covered . 114-113. In cases meeting these criteria, where withdrawal or dismissal occurred after January 2, 2012, only newly covered conditions will be considered eligible for compensation. If your claim is denied for lack of proof of presence, it does not mean the VCF does not believe that you were present during the relevant timeframe. To be covered by the Program, a condition must be . The VCF will contact you if any additional information is needed in these situations. If you were a civil officer or employee in any branch of the Government of the United States and worked at a 9/11 crash site or in the NYC Exposure Zone during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002, your employer may be able to provide you with documentation to verify your presence. The VCF has instructions for uploading documents to the online system. You do not need to submit any proof of presence with your claim. The VCF will consider a number of factors to determine the appropriate award including whether the cancer has spread, will recur, or cause permanent complications. All of the eligibility criteria must be met to receive compensation. Pitta & Baione have earned over $200 million in 9/11 compensation claims for 9/11 related cancers and other conditions. You should provide this form to individuals who witnessed you at the site or in the NYC Exposure Zone during the relevant time period. The Special Master recognizes, however, that such documents may no longer exist or may be impossible to obtain. You cannot certify records or transcripts yourself. Please be sure to select the correct document type when uploading documents to claims in the online system. Part 104. There are two exceptions to this general waiver rule that is, there are two types of permissible lawsuits that you can pursue and still file a claim with the VCF: As noted above, there are two types of 9/11-related lawsuits that you can pursue and still file a claim with the VCF. Everything You Need To Know About 9/11 Prostate Cancer Claims This includes Personal Representatives filing a claim for a deceased victim, and court appointed guardians filing a claim for an incapacitated adult. We also understand that some individuals have registered with the VCF to preserve their right to file a claim in the future, but are currently not sick and therefore are not eligible to file a claim unless their circumstances change at some point in the future. The VCF has an arrangement with the FDNY in which the FDNY will provide documents directly to the VCF regarding proof of a FDNY firefighters or fire officers presence at the site. If the VCF needs additional information from you after reviewing your claim form and the letter, the VCF will contact you. For information about whether you may be eligible for WTC Health Program treatment for emotional or mental harms, you may contact them by phone at 1-888-WTC-HP4U (1-888- 982-4748), or on the web at www.cdc.gov/wtc/. The VCF encourages you to register now. 107-42, as amended by Public Law No. Any compensation awarded by the court in the lawsuit or obtained in a settlement of litigation will be treated as an offset and deducted from your VCF award. If you were employed by ICE (Legacy U.S. Customs Service, Legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service (Investigations, Deportation and Removal Operations, or Office of the Principal Legal Advisor)) and worked in your official capacity at a 9/11 crash site, or you were assigned to a post of duty in the NYC Exposure Zone during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002, ICE may be able to provide you with a letter verifying your presence. For both personal injury and deceased claims, a new or subsequent government determination that a specific physical condition or injury is 9/11-related triggers a new two-year registration period. Undefined malignant neoplasms also qualify. Blood in the urine, frequent urination, a slower-than-normal urine flow, erectile dysfunction, and blood in the semen following ejaculation are all signs of prostate cancer. Alumni of Stuyvesant or any area school in the NYC Exposure Zone may email info@stuyhealth.org for assistance acquiring proof of attendance for their VCF claim. Many individuals have asked about gathering documentation now to support their presence for a potential future claim given that the VCF is open to take claims until October 1, 2090. The VCF does not require any of the forms to be completed by your physician; you may complete the Treating Physician Information Form.. If you were employed by the NYC Department of Buildings and worked at an office located in the NYC Exposure Zone during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002, they may be able to provide you with a letter verifying your presence. The Registration Deadline is determined according to claim type, and varies based on individual circumstances.