Charleston accident lawyers have taken note of a recent settlement in New York City that may have Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, owner of the World Trade Center paying out $47 million to the more than 9,000 workers who sustained work related injuries during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The plaintiffs argue the defendants failed to ensure the workers’ safety during recovery operations at ground zero.
This settlement is in addition to a much larger settlement offered to over 10,000 workers, not all of them decided to sue the Port Authority, who are eligible to receive part of the $712.5 million being paid by the City and its contractors. There is a November 8, deadline to accept the larger settlement. As for the 9,055 plaintiffs in the Port Authority case, they are free to opt into one and not other, accept both, or reject both.
Lawyers for the Port Authority say the board of commissioners will not approve the settlement until the end of October and the plaintiffs will have 60 days to accept the deal. Also, the $47 million settlement is valid only if 80-95 percent of the plaintiffs opt in to receive payment.
Payment of the award is based upon the type and severity of injury. The Port Authority has taken plaintiffs and divided injuries into four tiers; Tier One is to receive fixed installments of $2,000, Tier Two $2,500, and Tier Three $3,000. Those categorized in Tier Four is comprised workers who sustained the worst and most severe injuries and their payment installments can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Injuries and illnesses reported by the plaintiffs are due to exposure of toxic dust and debris after the Trade Center attacks.
Apart from these two settlements, The New York Times reports that Congress is taking into consideration a piece of legislation that would put aside billions of dollars to monitor and treat respitory diseases, other medical problems, as well as reopen a workers’ compensation fund for economic losses.
