Insurer Reaches Settlement With Injured 9-11 Responders
(New York, NY) -- An insurance company created by New York City to handle 9-11 claims has reached a settlement with firefighters, police and other contractors who reported health problems after working at Ground Zero. The WTC Captive Insurance Company will pay out more than 650-million dollars to thousands of workers who sued over injuries and illnesses they claimed were the result of their rescue and clean-up efforts. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a statement saying the deal will, quote, "allow the first responders and workers to be compensated for injuries suffered following their work at Ground Zero." Individual payments will be allotted based on the severity of each worker's injuries, and plaintiffs will have 90 days to decide whether or not to participate. At least 95-percent of the plaintiffs have to agree to the settlement for it to go through. The parties will ask a U.S. district judge for preliminary approval of the deal in a New York courtroom today. |