Deadline for World Trade Center Workers to File for Workers Compensation is Approaching

Workers who helped out with the World Trade Center rescue and clean-up in 2001 are approaching a deadline for when they must to file a specific form required of the New York Workers' Compensation Board if they need to file for workers compensation benefits in the future.

Both paid and volunteer workers have until Monday, September 13, 2010, to fill out and turn in the WTC-12 form which consists of 8 questions and must be notarized.  The WTC-12 form is not a form for filing a workers' compensation claim itself but rather a form to notify the Workers' Compensation Board of your participation in the clean up and/or rescue in case you ever need to file for workers' compensation.

Ordinarily New York workers have two years to file a workers' compensation claim but the state of New York has extended the period of time to do so for those involved in efforts to help out with rescue and clean-up for the World Trade Center.

People who helped out at all are being urged to file the form but those especially being urged to fill out the form are people who helped in the area south of Canal Street, and at Fresh Kills Landfill, on the barges, the piers, and the morgues.

Certain New York uniformed workers, such as New York police officers, New York fire department and Sanitation Departments as well as federal employees are not part of this offer unless they volunteered in which case a case may be able to be filed.

The form must be filled out, notarized, mailed and received by Monday, September 13, 2010 to be considered for future benefits. Forms may not be emailed or faxed and a postmark date is not sufficient in determining when it was mailed instead the document must be received on or before September 13, 2010.