$657M Ground Zero Settlement

New York City officials have reached a settlement with the thousands of rescue and cleanup workers who suffered disease and injury from the polluted air at the World Trade Center site directly after the 9/11 attacks. The $657.5 million payout would be divided among some 10,000 plaintiffs, assuming that enough of the plaintiffs agree to the terms; if only 95 percent agree, the sum is reduced to $575 million. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, likely pleased to see the end of what has been a politically fraught and expensive legal battle, said the settlement was a "fair and reasonable solution."