9/11 Families Slow to Seek Compensation

Some Weigh Lawsuits; Others Can't Face Task

Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Page A01

Two years after Congress created a multibillion-dollar fund for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as a way to avoid massive lawsuits against the airlines, nearly 60 percent of families of the dead have yet to file claims, officials said.

In many cases, families have not acted because they are still overwhelmed by grief and cannot face the emotional pain of preparing a claim, while others are contemplating lawsuits against the airlines.

Yesterday, a federal judge in New York said families could proceed with existing lawsuits, a decision that may encourage some relatives to bypass the federal fund. Families that receive an award from the Sept. 11th Victim Compensation Fund give up their right to join the litigation, which accuses the airlines of negligence for inadequate security measures.

As of last week, claims to the federal fund have been filed for 1,273 of the 3,016 people who died at the Pentagon, at the World Trade Center and on the airplane that crashed in Pennsylvania. Among the unknown number who were injured, 1,045 have filed claims.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50554-2003Sep9.html