[drew1503]

NYC: Many 9/11 Injury Plaintiffs Not Seriously Ill

Lawyers for NYC say 30 percent of those claiming injury from ground zero not seriously hurt

The Associated Press

NEW YORK


Many of the thousands of people who have gone to court claiming ground zero-related illnesses don't have serious health problems, lawyers for the city claim in court papers.
About 10,800 plaintiffs claim to suffer from a wide variety of health problems from breathing toxic dust from the debris of the World Trade Center after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The claims are filed in federal court in Manhattan, where U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein is overseeing the cases. About half were filed by city workers, including police officers and firefighters.
In a letter to Hellerstein last month, the law firm hired by the city, Patton Boggs LLP, contended that its review of the pending claims show about 30 percent of the people seeking compensation allege "only nominal injuries."
The letter, first reported by The New York Times, said 30 percent of claims involved cases where a specific ailment was not diagnosed. The claims instead describe symptoms, such as a runny nose or sleep problems.
"This is not to suggest that the remaining 70 percent of plaintiffs are seriously injured," the lawyers wrote. "To the contrary, diagnosable injuries such as sinusitis and acid reflux are not necessarily serious."
In fact, the lawyers contend, more than 300 of the claims, or about 3 percent of the total, "do not claim any past or current physical injury" at all.
A lawyer for suing ground zero workers, Marc Bern, disputed that 30 percent of plaintiffs don't suffer serious ailments.
In a separate letter sent to the judge last month, the workers' advocates suggested the two sides could work together to categorize claims by their severity.
Bern said that effort would be helped by additional medical records.
"We're continuing to get more records every day, virtually by the minute," he said Wednesday.
Lawyers for the workers say the city should stop fighting the claims and start paying them. The federal government created a $1 billion insurance fund to handle such claims. The fund is administered by the city.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

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[Love is Green]

" A lawyer for suing ground zero workers, Marc Bern, disputed that 30 percent of plaintiffs don't suffer serious ailments."

Of course! That would cut his take of the government cake.

They also discarded 379 claims from people who's passport - customs records indicated they weren't even in the US during 9/11.

I get acid reflux. And runny noses. I take a Tums, not sue the gov. for some ca$h.

I guess I should file a claim?

Weed out the fakes and pay the true heroes that got hurt their due.

[r-e3-f]

thats a shame. all those people injured.

[its4:21sryimL8]

i dont like this one bit, but the true american way.... something for nothing, were all hurt in someway, i dont see how the government should pay for 9/11

if i blew up your house would YOU pay for your whole blocks medical bills, i think not.

[OakSmokeMJA]

This is why NYC doesn't want to pay out! You won't see this story on ABC news,

EPA Report: White House Lied to New Yorkers About Health Hazards Near Ground Zero

An EPA report reveals that White House staff ordered the EPA to minimize health dangers after 911 and Daily News reporter Juan Gonzalez reveals that the man responsible was previously an industry lawyer who represented major asbestos and toxic polluters.

An Environmental Protection Agency report released Friday reveals that the National Security Council pressured EPA officials to downplay the health hazards caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center.

The public was lied to about the extensive presence of asbestos from the two buildings, toxic dioxins floating in the downtown air, and increased amounts of lead found in the atmosphere. The report reveals the trail of public misinformation began in the White House.

For example, one statement from the initial draft revealed that asbestos levels in some areas were three times higher than national standards. This was changed to say “slightly above the 1 percent trigger for defining asbestos material.”

In another case, despite warnings by EPA scientists, a sentence was added to a Sept. 16 news release concluding “Our tests show that it is safe for New Yorkers to go back to work in New York’s financial district.”

And a statement which raised concerns about “sensitive populations” such as asthma patients, the elderly and people with underlying respiratory diseases was deleted.

In today’s Daily News Juan Gonzalez reveals that the man in charge of the Council on Environmental Quality is James Connaughton. Before his appointment by President Bush Connaughton was an industry lawyer who represented major asbestos and toxic polluters

To see the whole interview click,
http://www.democracynow.org/2003/8/2..._house_lied_to

All of these people deserve treatment and in most cases compensation. Most of them are firefighters, police officers, volunteers and clean-up workers. NYC should be ashamed of itself for trying to abandon it's responsibilities to it's citizens.