NU Online News Service Oct. 15, 10:40 a.m. EDT

Plaintiffs in the litigation arising from the debris cleanup at the World Trade Center site following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks have entered a settlement agreement with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, owner of the World Trade Center site.

Still subject to the approval of the Port Authority Board of Commissioners and the Governor's review, the Port Authority agreed to pay $47.5 million to settle claims of those plaintiffs who sued the Port Authority for injuries they sustained during the rescue, recovery and debris removal operations following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

This compensation would be in addition to the compensation the plaintiffs are eligible to receive under the agreement their counsel reached with New York City and its contractors, worth up to $712.5 million.

While the Port Authority said it is not a party to the prior settlement that was reached between the City and its contractors, the Port Authority's settlement money will be allocated in accordance with the same objective diagnostic criteria and allocation process contained in that agreement. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, of the U.S. Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York, who oversees these cases, has already declared that the allocation process is "fair and reasonable."

As with the City's settlement, the plaintiffs will be grouped into four tiers by the type and severity levels of their injuries. Tiers 1, 2 and 3 will receive fixed payments as follows: $2000 for plaintiffs in Tier 1; $2,500 to plaintiffs in Tier 2; and $3,000 for plaintiffs in Tier 3.

Plaintiffs in Tier 4 could receive tens of thousands of dollars in additional compensation.

Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel Paul Napoli said that he and his colleagues "are elated by the finalization of this agreement with the Port Authority, which followed extensive negotiations over many weeks."

He noted, "Other settlement negotiations with remaining defendants have been ongoing as well, and we are hopeful that the Port Authority settlement will encourage those defendants to take this opportunity to resolve plaintiffs' claims against them."

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