9/11 Benefits for Teachers
In the aftermath of 9/11, rescue and recovery workers bore the brunt of the exposure to the toxins released when the World Trade Center collapsed, but they are not the only group of professionals exposed. Teachers and other employees at educational institutions in the area — of which there were an estimated 3,000 at the time — were also exposed to dangerous toxins and may be suffering from 9/11-related health conditions today. Fortunately, teachers with qualifying 9/11-related conditions are eligible for benefits under the 911 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF).
HOW TEACHERS CAN QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS
To qualify for VCF benefits, teachers must satisfy two requirements:
- They must prove they were employed in the NYC exposure zone between September 11, 2001, and May 30, 2002;
- They must have developed a certified 9/11-related health condition.
There is no minimum amount of time teachers are required to have been present in the exposure zone so long as they can prove their presence at any point during the relevant time frame.
NEW YORK SCHOOLS EXPOSED TO TOXIC DUST
Teachers and other employees of schools south of Canal Street likely were exposed to the toxic dust cloud that blanketed the area. Some of those institutions include:
- P.S. 001 Alfred E. Smith
- P.S. 89 Liberty
- P.S. 124 Yung Wing Elementary School
- P.S. 126 Jacob August Riis
- P.S. 150 Tribeca Learning Center
- P.S. 234 Independence School
- P.S./I.S. 234 Battery Park City School
- P.S. 397 Spruce Street School
- I.S. 289 Hudson River Middle School
- Borough of Manhattan Community College
- Church Street School of Music and Art
- German School Manhattan
- High School of Economics & Finance
- Leadership and Public Service High School
- Léman Manhattan Preparatory School
- Murry Bergtraum High School for Business Careers
- New York Law School
- Pace High School
- Pace University
- Stuyvesant High School
- TriBeCa Community School
IMPORTANT 911 VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND DEADLINES
To begin the claims process, teachers must register with the VCF within two years of the latest date on which the WTC Health Program certifies their health condition as 9/11-related. Please note that this is not necessarily the date on which the condition was first diagnosed, but rather the date on which the claimant was made aware that the condition likely arose from exposure to 9/11-related toxins. Once a claimant has registered with the VCF, he or she may formally submit a claim at any time before the expiration of the program (October 1, 2090).
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 911 VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS
For more information about teachers’ eligibility to receive 911 victim compensation fund benefits, please contact an experienced attorney at Pitta & Baione by using our online contact form or by calling us at 844-901-1312.
