Judge reveals talks to settle Ground Zero cases

Lawyers are engaged in "intensive" negotiations to settle thousands of lawsuits brought by Ground Zero workers who claim they suffered injuries, according to a transcript of remarks by the Manhattan federal judge overseeing the case released Friday.

"There have been intensive discussions going on . . . looking to settlements of individual cases and globally of all cases," U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein told a roomful of lawyers at a Jan. 21 hearing. "The parties have been working very hard."

Although it could work out a result for more than 9,000 pending cases, Hellerstein later cautioned that the discussions are "fluid," and no result is certain or imminent.

"The settlement is complicated," he told the lawyers, adding, "I don't know what numbers have been discussed or what terms have been discussed or what a timetable will be. Like so many settlements, we'll have a settlement when we'll have a settlement, or there will not be a settlement. And no one knows until it's all accomplished."

Twelve test cases alleging New York City, the Port Authority and various contractors failed to adequately warn and protect workers are scheduled for trial in May. They are designed to test issues of causation, liability and damages common to many of the cases, which say a variety of ailments were caused by toxic fumes.

More than half of the cases involve police and firefighters, and many have been brought by Long Islanders.

Hellerstein has long been pushing for settlements.

The lead lawyers for the plaintiffs and the defendants did not return calls for comment.