The Aftermath of 9/11 Continues
The Post reports that [the wife of a utility repairman who restored cell phone service at Ground Zero and died last year of a rare lung disease has filed a $20 million wrongful-death claim against the city]. Mark DeBiase died of pulmonary fibrosis when he was 41, the same disease that killed several other 9/11 responders. He was survived by his wife Jean Marie and three sons, Nicholas, 12, Christopher, 9, and Michael, 8. According to the wifes lawyer, Andrew Carboy, the city failed to provide DeBiase with protective gear to minimize the amount of toxic dust he inhaled while working at the decimated site. This is one of the first wrongful-death cases filed by a World Trade Center responder that claims the disease is a direct result of Ground Zero exposure. Nevertheless, the city Law Department is struggling to throw out thousands of similar negligence cases filed by sick recovery workers.
Meanwhile, another Post article asserts that [the number of patients treated for 9/11-related ailments at a city clinic has increased by a whopping 60 percent in the past three months]. Since Mayor Bloomberg announced last fall his plans for a $16 million program expansion, 300 additional patients have enrolled at the Bellevue Hospital/NYU School of Medicine clinic, bringing the grand total of patients seeking care there for various respiratory illnesses up to 800. The plan will equip the hospital to eventually be able to care for up to 6,000 who suffer from ailments pertaining to Ground Zero.