$712M settlement in 9/11 first responder case likely

With a month to go before the deadline, it appears likely that the 95 percent of plaintiffs needed to approve the massive World Trade Center first responder case settlement will give their okay to the $712 million deal, officials said Monday.

At a hearing in Manhattan federal court, attorney Paul Napoli, who represents most of the firefighters, construction workers and others injured in the Ground Zero cleanup, said that so far 75 percent of his clients have approved the deal, with another 15 percent to 20 percent saying they will join in.

"We are very confident we can achieve 95 percent in the next 30 days," said Napoli, who represents about 9,600 plaintiffs. Another firm has about 700 clients.

The deadline for injured plaintiffs to join the settlement is November 8, a date Judge Alvin Hellerstein said he will likely not extend.

"I doubt I will move beyond November 8," said Hellerstein.

News of the settlement trend came on a day when Mayor Michael Bloomberg and attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is the special arbitrator in the case, implored injured plaintiffs sitting on the sidelines to join the settlement.

Both were joined at City Hall news conference by a number of plaintiffs like retired NYPD detective Joseph Greco of Bethpage who pushed for the settlement.

SEE PHOTOS9/11/2001 in photos

"Take the money while it is there," said Greco, who suffers from steroid addicted asthma and needs injections costing $2,000 a month to treat his condition.

"I didn't want my family to be homeless," said Greco about his decision. "Look, I'm not looking to buy a new house, or a fancy car. I just want to make sure that I can pay some of my medical bills and keep my home."

As he has done in the past, Feinberg, who handled the $7 billion September 11 Victim Compensation Fund and is now administering the claims process for the Gulf oil spill, said the deal made sense.

Feinberg expected to see a rush of last-minute approvals of the settlement, much like he saw in the victim fund, as the November 8 deadline approached.

In court, Hellerstein also strongly urged from the bench that plaintiffs approve the settlement since continued litigation was problematic.

"I think this is a good deal," said Hellerstein. "People need to realize the alternatives are tough."

If the settlement passes, over 10,000 injured recovery workers will be covered. They stand to get awards ranging from a few thousand dollars to upwards of a million dollars or more under complex formulas.

Maria Alvarez contributed to this story