People who want to register with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) have new deadline rules to follow.
Issued in September 2016 by the VCF, the rules set new dates for those who have yet to register to make claims from the fund. The deadlines vary based on the type of illness that may have arisen in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on New York.
According to a release from the VCF’s special master, most claimants will be eligible to file a claim based upon the date a government entity determined that they have a 9/11 physical injury or condition. This includes, but is not limited to, agencies like the World Trade Center Health Program, a state workers’ compensation board, or government employer such as the FDNY, NYPD, or the New York City Employee Retirement Systems for purposes of issuing a disability pension. (Read the entire release here.)
For individuals being treated by the WTC Health Program, the start date of the two-year registration period is based on the earlier of two dates: (1) the date of the letter from the WTC Health Program indicating that the individual’s 9/11-related physical injury or condition has been certified for treatment, or (2) the date on which another government entity determined that the physical injury or condition was 9/11-related.
If an individual isn’t being treated by the WTC Health Program, the registration start date is the earlier of: (1) the date on which a government entity determined that the physical injury or condition was 9/11-related, or (2) the date on which the individual’s physical injury or condition is verified through the VCF’s Private Physician process.
“A government determination of 9/11-relatedness as to any specific physical condition or injury triggers a new two-year registration period,” the VCF release said.
The new registration deadlines were created in response to changes in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The Zadroga Act was reauthorized in 2015, extending health benefits coverage and adding another five years to the life of the Victim Compensation Fund.
When the VCF was initially enacted many people affected by the 9/11 attacks missed the 2003 deadline for filing a claim. Many did not yet know that they had been made ill or had been injured, and thus were not aware that they would need to file a claim with the VCF for the VCF. The Zadroga Act and its 2015 reauthorization gave those people a new opportunity to claim compensation and have medical care paid for.
Please contact us to see whether you have a valid claim to make under the new rules.
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