NY judge urges other defendants, including building cleaners, to join 9/11 health settlement
By APFriday, June 25, 2010
NY judge: Others should join 9/11 responders’ deal
NEW YORK — The judge who approved the settlement for thousands of 9/11 first responders exposed to toxic World Trade Center dust wants other defendants to join it.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein released a statement Friday urging hundreds of other defendants to consider participating in the settlement. They include workers involved in the extensive cleanup of buildings surrounding ground zero.
The judge also extended a suspension of all of the litigation. He did not set an end date.
Hellerstein on Wednesday signed off on a deal that could pay more than $700 million to about 10,000 police, firefighters and construction workers. It still must be approved by 95 percent of the plaintiffs before becoming final.
