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Sept. 11 responders and government agencies may finally have reached a settlement to avoid a May 16 court date.
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Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is presiding over the case, said at a Jan. 21 hearing that settlements for individual cases as well as class actions suits are possible.
Lawsuits have been brought against nearly 100 government agencies by more than 9,000 Sept. 11 responders, suing over injuries and illnesses they claim to have sustained during their rescue and relief efforts.
Many believe that resolutions would come as good news to relief workers who require immediate relief, but others believe that these are only short-term solutions.
John Feal, founder and president of the FealGood Foundation, said that while these lawsuits will help rescuers in need of assistance, the bigger goal is to pass House Resolution 847, which will provide $5.5 billion in monetary compensation, as well as health insurance, to eligible responders.
"If you took 9,000 people across the board on a billion dollars, each person is going to get about $200,000," Feal said. "But with the bill, you're getting five and a half billion dollars in compensation to go around."
Feal also stressed that the bill would provide health insurance to responders over the next 30 years, guaranteeing more security.
"While I think David Worby, Mark Burns and Paul Napoli have done a great job fighting litigation for 9/11 responders, it's my opinion that the bill, which provides health care over the next 30 years is a better avenue," he said.
The first half of the bill, which is the compensatory element, was passed in June 2008. The second half, which features the health insurance portion, is awaiting the Energy and Commerce subcommittee's approval. Feal hopes that the bill will be up for vote by the end of March or early April.
President Barack Obama initially expressed hesitation over the bill. He acknowledged the heroism of the responders, but said that he was in opposition to the bill. But after a press conference and rally organized by the FealGood Foundation, the president said he would review the bill.
Feal is certain that Obama will change his stance. "I'm confident that this bill is going to get marked up and that the President won't even think about vetoing this bill."
gonsalez
Feb 08, 2010
12:59 a.m.
President Barack Obama's Education Grant for Online Medical Assistant Degree http://bit.ly/a80qrv
Dan Fajardo
Feb 08, 2010
7:16 p.m.
My goodness, just read in the NY Post that Congress had set aside a tad bit (1 Billion) to pay claims stemming from the Ground Zero cleanup, and that the fund spent $275 million between 2004 and Dec. 31, 2009 on "defense lawyers and administrative costs."
"At the same time, the fund paid only a total of $320,000 to five workers with minor injuries."
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/billable_billions_QnYlxd1VpvurgJjqt9ccmO#ixzz0ezY9dLMq
What is wrong with Bloomberg? Why wouldn't he (and Rudy G. for that matter) allocate these funds? Instead, he used the money to fight the first responders in court!
Mayor Mike does not care about the blue collar worker in Manhattan, that much is obvious across his entire platform. Talk to any small business owner. But this blocking of funds is treasonous. Bloomberg shouldn't even have had the chance to run for 3rd term as Mayor, as he subverted the voter referendum process - with the help of his second half christie quinn - to make sure he would be eligible.
Too bad an extra 4 percent of NY'ers didn't vote for Thompson and kick him to the curb where he and his money belong.
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