Survivors of 9/11 are suffering and dying as a result of the toxic cloud of dust and smoke that was released when the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001. Sadly, for many of these brave men and women, recognition for their suffering in the form of compensation and acknowledgment of a link between their diseases and the toxic dust cloud are coming too late – or not at all.

Suffering in Silence – The Forgotten Faces of 9/11

To anybody familiar with the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, it is no surprise that many emergency workers are suffering from the negative effects from the cloud of caustic dust and toxic airborne pollutants that were released when the World Trade Center collapsed. Survey results from the Mount Sinai WTC Medical Monitoring Program show that 69% of respondents reported new or worsened respiratory problems after working at Ground Zero.

All it takes is hearing a few of the stories about survivors and heroes of 9/11 who lost their lives months or years after the attacks to remind us that even today, six years after the attacks, many of our fellow Americans are still paying the price for that fateful day.

  • The first death linked to exposure from toxic WTC dust is that of lawyer Felicia Dunn-Jones, who died of sarcoidosis, a rare lung disease, five months after the attacks of September 11, 2001. However it was not until May 24, 2007 that her death was conclusively linked to inhalation of the toxic dust released into the atmosphere during the collapse of the World Trade Center. Until May of 2007, the New York City medical examiner’s office believed that there was inadequate medical evidence to link her death to the events of 9/11. This was despite the fact that in 2004 Ms. Dunn-Jones’ family was awarded $2.6 million from the September 11th Victim’s Compensation Fund run by the federal government.

  • James Zadroga, a New York City police detective, spent many hours performing rescue and recovery work at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of 9/11. Several months after his work there ended, he began to suffer from a chronic cough, shortness of breath and acid reflux – all of which have been recently identified by the New York City Health Department as potentially WTC related conditions. A battery of tests including cat scans, MRIs, and X-rays failed to reveal the cause for his deteriorating health, so he was simply labeled as asthmatic. Sadly, Mr. Zadroga passed away in January 2006, at which time his death was definitively linked to working in the toxic smoke and dust from the World Trade Center collapse. As for his untimely death, “I do not think he will be the last, unfortunately” said the president of the Detectives' Endowment Association Michael Palladino.

  • One year after working tirelessly to find survivors at Ground Zero, NYC emergency medical technician Tim Keller was diagnosed with asthma, bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema. But when Keller applied for aid, he was denied both worker’s compensation and 9/11 benefits as state and federal agencies denied that this non-smoker’s ailments were related to the WTC collapse. A ten-year veteran of the fire department, he was later awarded a small benefit, but died of heart disease complicated by bronchitis and emphysema in 2005 at the age of 41.


How many more of our brave men and women have to die before our federal and state government officials admit that the aftermath of 9/11 is ruining the lives for so many of our heroes, and provide them with the compensation they deserve – before it is too late?

If you or someone you love are suffering from health ailments resulting from the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11 the attorneys at Napoli Bern want to help you. Please contact Napoli Bern as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.
©2008 Napoli Bern LLP, All Rights Reserved, Reproduced with Permission
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