Meet Joanne Brown, one of the many African American 9/11 victims whose legal attempts have failed to recover over $5 million misappropriated funds from her Victim Compensation Claim. She is a disabled African American female and a 20-year veteran First Grade Detective of the New York Police Department.
On September 11, 2001, she was a NYPD First Grade Detective assigned to the Missing Persons Squad. She was present before, during, and after the Collapse of the Towers and was injured when a man pushed her causing her to fall to the ground and the man then fell on top of her. Despite this injury, Brown continued to assist in the rescue efforts until Tower 2 collapsed. She was rendered unconscious and later hospitalized. In the ensuing years, from May 2002 to June 2016, Brown, because of that fall had 14 surgeries, five exacerbated physical injuries, and 18 certified conditions from 780 hours of direct toxic exposure caused by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. The World Trade Center Health Program certified these injuries and conditions for compensation. Brown’s entire medical history from 2000 to 2016, NYPD Pension Records, and three years of taxes were sent to the VCF. From 2013 to 2016, she had two VCF Claims Numbers, 2 VCF Special Masters, and 2 law firms.
In order to receive compensation for toxic exposure under the Federal Statute you must satisfy these three requirements: a) Proof of Presence in the exposure zone, 2) Waive your rights to sue and 3) have an eligible condition certified by World Trade Center Health Program. Brown met these requirements and received numerous Eligibility Letters for compensation. In June 2017, she received an Award Letter for out-of-pocket medical expenses for $8,689.
Brown believes the VCF has not administered the funds in a fair and equitable manner regarding her claims for compensation and feels The Rule of Law as outlined in the VCF’s written response in the Audit of the Inspector General was not applied.
Brown believes the VCF2 has failed to compensate her for her numerous surgeries, exacerbated injuries, and 18 certified conditions by the WTCHP from 9/11 toxicants, which should have been covered under the VCF2 law. She has spent innumerable hours and resources attempting to obtain information on whether amounts were paid for her many injuries based upon the multiple times the VCF certified them as eligible for compensation and to whom the payments were made. Her efforts to obtain information have been blocked by people who have worked against her to receive her compensation.
Therefore, Brown must live daily with debilitating exacerbated physical injuries, physical conditions from 780 hours of direct toxic exposure, and PTSD from the events of the September 911 attack. After 10 years of fighting for her compensation, she must now live with the fact of being victimized a second time by a corrupted racist justice system.
Years after the 9/11 terrorist attack, victims in the exposure zone from September 11, 2001, to May 30, 2002, became ill and some died from being exposed to toxicants in the air. Congress created a $20 billion No Fault Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) to provide compensation for any individual who died or suffers from physical conditions from toxic exposure. In many cases, the lawyers behaved honestly and legally represented their clients taking a fair compensation for their work from the proceeds from their 9/11 clients. However, in some instances, the lure of the billions of dollars made it irresistible for some lawyers to take the victims’ monies.
Many African American who were exposed to the toxic air were victimized a second time by these less-than-honest lawyers. A Court case of a white victim was able to successfully seek legal remedy and recovery for his lawyers’ misdeeds through the Court. For example, on September 3, 2020, the United States Attorney General, Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment and charged a white lawyer for stealing 9/11 Victim Compensation Funds from a White NYPD Detective. (Press Release Number: 20-187). This story, “Disbarred Lawyer Admits Stealing $1 Million From Ex-Cop with 9/11 – Related Cancer” was also in the Long Island Press, on October 20, 2020.