National Zadroga Act Law Firm Applauds NIOSH Decision to Add Many Cancers to List of Illnesses Covered by the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

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Parker Waichman LLP vows to continue its efforts to make sure Ground Zero heroes receive all of the Zadroga Act compensation they need and deserve.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 11, 2012

The national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP applauds National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announcement that numerous cancers will be added to the list of covered illnesses eligible for compensation under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act's 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. According to Friday's announcement, 50 different cancers will now be eligible for Zadroga Act compensation, including:

•     Malignant neoplasms of the lip, tongue, salivary gland, floor of mouth, gum and other mouth, tonsil oropharynx, hypopharynx, and other oral cavity and pharynx
•     Malignant neoplasm of the nasopharynx
•     Malignant neoplasms of the nose, nasal cavity, middle ear, and accessory sinuses
•     Malignant neoplasm of the larynx
•     Malignant neoplasm of the esophagus
•     Malignant neoplasm of the stomach
•     Malignant neoplasm of the colon and rectum
•     Malignant neoplasm of the liver and intrahepatic bile duct
•     Malignant neoplasms of the retroperitoneum and peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery
•     Malignant neoplasms of the trachea; bronchus and lung; heart, mediastinum and pleura; and other ill defined sites in the respiratory system and intrathoracic organs
•     Mesothelioma
•     Malignant neoplasms of the soft tissues (sarcomas)
•     Malignant neoplasms of the skin (melanoma and nonmelanoma), including scrotal cancer
•     Malignant neoplasm of the breast
•     Malignant neoplasm of the ovary
•     Malignant neoplasm of the urinary bladder
•     Malignant neoplasm of the kidney
•     Malignant neoplasms of renal pelvis, ureter and other urinary organs
•     Malignant neoplasms of the eye and orbit
•     Malignant neoplasm of the thyroid
•     Malignant neoplasms of the blood and lymphoid tissues (including, but not limited to, lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma)
•     Childhood cancers
•     Rare cancers

The Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which became law in December 2010, was named after deceased New York Police Department detective James Zadroga, who had worked at Ground Zero. Many of the individuals who participated in the rescue and recovery efforts following the 9/11 terrorist attacks have since been diagnosed with various illnesses because of their exposure to toxic dust. The Zadroga Act reopened the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund for five years to provide payment for job and economic losses for first responders, those trapped in the buildings, and local residents, who suffered illness or injuries related to the toxic dust. [gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ347/pdf/PLAW-111publ347.pdf]

Previously, NIOSH had declined to include any cancers in the list of illnesses covered under the Zadroga Act, purportedly because of a lack of scientific evidence linking the disease to exposure to Ground Zero toxic dust. That decision left many cancer-stricken Ground Zero first responders who are too sick to worker and without health insurance without any recourse, according to Matthew McCauley, lead attorney in the WTC/Zadroga group at Parker Waichman LLP, and a former NYPD Officer and WTC First Responder.

In the past year, evidence linking Ground Zero toxic dust exposure to various cancers has grown. Last year, a large study of New York City firefighters published in The Lancet found a 19% increase in cancer risk overall in those who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In March, during a hearing convened by the World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee, Dr. Philip Landrigan, a dean at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, testified that a yet-to-be published study conducted by his team revealed a 14 percent increase in cancer rates among rescue workers, including significant increases in prostate, thyroid and certain blood cancers. The study was the largest of its kind, involving 20,000 firefighters and police officers as well as sanitation workers, construction workers and others who assisted at Ground Zero after the terror attack. [thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2960989-6/abstract; nydailynews.com/opinion/evidence-mounting-9-11-first-responders-cancer-working-ground-zero-article-1.1024717]

Based in part on this research, the World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee recommended in March that dozens of cancers be added to the list of covered illnesses covered under the Zadroga Act. Parker Waichman LLP, which worked alongside Ground Zero first responders and their advocates to ensure passage of the Zadroga Act, applauds NIOSH's decision to abide by the Committee's recommendations. [cdc.gov/niosh/docket/archive/docket248.html]

"We were always optimistic that NIOSH would do the ‘right thing,’ by our 9/11 heroes. I will enjoy calling our clients to tell them their cancer has been added to the list of covered illnesses under the Zadroga Act,” McCauley said.

Parker Waichman LLP vows to continue its efforts to make sure these heroes receive all of the Zadroga Act compensation they need and deserve. If you or a loved one are eligible for compensation under the Zadroga Act, and would like assistance with your claim, please the visit the firm's http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Zadroga-Act-WTC-World-Trade-Center-Claims-Lawyer-Attorney-Lawsuit Zadroga Act claims page __title__ ] at http://www.yourlawyer.com.

For more information regarding Zadroga Act claims and Parker Waichman LLP, please visit: http://www.yourlawyer.com or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).

Contact:
Parker Waichman LLP
Gary Falkowitz, Managing Attorney
(800) LAW-INFO
(800) 529-4636
http://www.yourlawyer.com

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