New York WTC first responders lawsuit resumes next week

A federal court in Mahattan on Friday told both sides of the World Trade Center first responders lawsuit to come back in court on Monday.

More than 8,000 workers are represented in the suit, which alleges they worked in the rubble without proper gear, ultimately leading to various health ailments.

Fifty-seven Ground Zero workers have died and thousands of others have been sickened by exposure to a noxious mix of chemicals released when the World Trade Center was reduced to smoldering rubble, their lawyer said.

But the city denied responsibility, saying its contractors were acting in the nation's defense as they worked to restore Ground Zero in the months after the Sept.11 terror attacks in 2001.

The city is trying to beat back a class-action lawsuit filed by some 8,000 workers and the families of the dead who claim the city, in its haste to clear the site, exposed them to dangerous levels of asbestos, lead and other toxins.

City attorney James Tyrrell argued that the city should be shielded from negligence claims because it was in the midst of a national emergency that demanded a "robust" response.

But David Worby, an attorney who represents the plaintiffs, said Ground Zero ceased being an emergency site in the days after the attacks when Bush administration officials declared air quality at Ground Zero safe.

"At a certain point, the emergency ends and the regular rules have to apply," Worby said. "The tragedy is this is only the beginning the people who are sick and dying."

Worby said e-mail messages and phone calls were still coming in,reporting the deaths of family members and friends who helped clear the WTC site after the attacks.

Source: Xinhua