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9/11 cancer claims are some of the most common claims the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) receives. When making compensation determinations, the VCF defines claims as “cancer only,” “non-cancer only,” and “combined,” meaning that the claimant claimed at least one cancer condition and at least one non-cancer condition.
According to the 2019 Annual Report (which is the most recent), 39% of compensation determinations involved cancer claims — including those that claimed cancer only and those that claimed cancer and a non-cancer condition. One of the most important things to keep in mind if you intend to file a 9/11 cancer claim is that the VCF operates on strict deadlines and that failure to meet those deadlines can render your claim ineligible.
Registration Deadlines for 9/11 Cancer Claims
The registration deadline for a 9/11 cancer claim is not the date by which you must file your claim. It is the date by which you must register with the VCF, which merely serves to alert the agency that you may be a potential claimant.
The registration deadline varies according to individual circumstances:
- If you were certified by the WTC Health Program for a 9/11-related cancer before July 29, 2019, you must register with the VCF by July 29, 2021.
- If you have not been certified by the WTC Health Program for a 9/11-related cancer, or if your cancer is certified after July 29, 2019, you must register within two years of the latest date on which the WTC Health Program certifies your cancer as 9/11-related.
- If you are registering to file a claim for an individual who you believe died of 9/11-related cancer before July 29, 2019, you must register with the VCF by July 29, 2021.
- If you are registering to file a claim for an individual who you believe died of 9/11-related cancer after July 29, 2019, you must register with the VCF within two years of the date of death.
Please note that the registration deadline for cancer claims is not necessarily within two years of the date on which you are diagnosed with the cancer. Rather, it is within two years of the date you are made aware that your cancer is 9/11-related. For example, assume that you were diagnosed with cancer in 2018. Your cancer was then certified by the WTC Health Program as being 9/11-related on May 5, 2020. Thus, your registration deadline would not be July 29, 2021 — it would be May 5, 2022, as you were only made aware your condition was 9/11-related in 2020.
Filing Deadlines for 9/11 Cancer Claims
The deadline to file your cancel claim with the VCF is less strict than the deadline to register; applicants may submit their claims at any time before the VCF program ends on October 1, 2090.
Get Help with Your 9/11 Cancer Claim
If you believe that you are suffering a 9/11-related cancer, you should act swiftly to get your condition certified so that you may register with the VCF. For more information about 9/11-related cancer claims, please contact a 9/11 cancer claim attorney at Pitta & Baione by using our online contact form or by calling us at 844-982-2667.
