N.Y. opens door for new Ground Zero claims

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Ground Zero recovery workers whose health-related lawsuits were thrown out over missed deadlines will get another chance to sue New York City, officials said.

More than 3,000 of the workers can revive their claims as a result of a law signed by New York Gov. David Paterson, Newsday reported Wednesday.

The workers say they developed illnesses from their work at the demolished World Trade Center site. But a federal judge threw out their suits against New York City because they had missed the deadline for filing.

Ailing workers now have another year to file their claims for damages primarily related to slowly developing conditions they say they believe were triggered by breathing in dust and other contaminants at the site.

Newsday said the statute caps the city's damages at $350 million and should not require taxpayers to pony up any additional funding.

Advocates for Sept. 11 workers told the newspaper they would continue their efforts to reopen a federal compensation fund that stopped making payouts in 2005.