Bulk of WTC first-responders sign on to settlement with city

Lawyers needed 95 percent of 9/11 first-responders suing the city to accept a settlement by Monday’s deadline for the deal to take effect, but only about 90 percent had signed on as of the afternoon, according to NY1. The final, official count may not be available for several days.

Thousands of plaintiffs who fell ill after breathing toxins at the World Trade Center in the wake of 9/11 cleanup and rescue efforts were eligible for the settlement — projected to be worth as much as $815 million — from city officials. Some could get as $2 million, depending on the severity of their ailments.

First-responders, including firefighters and construction workers, who chose to accept the deal would still be eligible for a $7 billion 9/11 health bill still making the rounds in Congress. Senate Democrats hope the legislation, named after NYPD Det. James Zadroga who died of respiratory illness after 9/11, passes by the end of the year.

More than 10,000 people have sued the city and various agencies, most claiming they weren’t provided with adequate protection gear.