Thaindian News

A new legal settlement has been signed for the 9/11 Heroes who toiled at ground zero and fell sick after being exposed to the dust of the World Trade center. U.S. District Judge Hellerstein, signed the deal which will sum up the compensation to $713 million adding nearly $125 million.

Judge Hellerstein, just three months back, had rejected an earlier plan of giving less money to people who worked at ground zero and got sick after breathing in the toxic ash. The new settlement will give bigger payments to people diagnosed with cancer, though the disease has not been linked to the dust yet but it is possibly the most feared among the workers.

Although questions have been raised regarding the success of the settlement. Terms of agreement say that 95% of the 10000 workers involved in the case must apply for it in order for it to be effective. The agreement gives them 90 days to decide their option.

Hellerstein has cautioned workers not to delay the case as it might leave them with nothing. He said that it’s not a perfect settlement but right now it is on the table for them.

The initial version of the settlement was rejected by the judge because it was not paying enough to the seriously ill responders and was paying more to their lawyers. The new settlement is expected to pay around $712.5 million.