9/11 Responders Face September 11 Deadline to Preserve Workers' Compensation Rights

With the 25th anniversary approaching, attorneys reminded 9/11 rescue, recovery, and cleanup workers that September 11, 2026 is the deadline to file Form WTC-12 with the New York State Workers' Compensation Board. The form is a registration, not a claim itself, but it permanently preserves the right to later file a workers' compensation claim for a 9/11-related illness — critical because cancers and other conditions tied to Ground Zero toxic dust exposure can take decades to appear. It covers anyone who took part in rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations between September 11, 2001 and September 12, 2002 at the World Trade Center site, the Fresh Kills landfill, NYC morgues and temporary morgue facilities, or barges transporting debris — including firefighters, police, sanitation workers, electricians, cleaners, food-service workers, and volunteers. The filing deadline has been extended multiple times since 2006; missing it closes the door on a future claim permanently under current law.