Terrorism-Related Injury Lawyers

Remembering September 11, 2001

The September 11, 2001 attacks was one of the hardest days in U.S. history. The tragic loss of life our country experienced, in addition to the trauma, hit at the very soul of our nation. The North and South Towers of the World Trade Center were targeted in plane hijackings, in addition to the Pentagon, and a rural area near Shanksville, Pennsylvania as another crash site.

On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we remember those who lost their lives on that day. We also remember those who died because of catastrophic illnesses and injuries in the following months and years. There are those still suffering from the aftereffects of breathing in fumes from Ground zero particles, including dust and toxins. Those who were exposed have a higher rate of cancer than the general population, including mesothelioma.¹ The victims of 9/11 include not only students, residents and those working in the towers, but also first responders, search and rescue workers, and cleanup workers.

Terrorist attacks have been on the minds of Americans since 9/11. Terrorism and radicalism can be homegrown or inspired abroad. Every day in the United States there are threats of terrorist attacks that police must actively deal with. We thank our men and women in uniform who risk their lives to do just that.

For victims of 9/11, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund was created by Congress to compensate victims and their families. For victims of other, smaller terrorist attacks, however, workers do not have a fund to rely on, and must file a claim to obtain workers’ compensation benefits for injuries incurred.

There are a host of more common methods terrorists could use targeting you or your workplace, including:

Terrorist Attacks

Vehicle-Ramming Attacks

The aim of someone committing a vehicle ramming attack could be to plow their way through as many people as possible, or to ram their vehicle inside of a building. Commercial trucks may be used to accomplish this. In the Charlottesville car attack, a man committed a hate crime at a rally in Virginia, killing one and injuring 28.²

Stabbing Attacks

Stabbing attacks are committed by those brandishing a melee weapon. In the 2014 Queens hatchet attack, a man wielding a hatchet injured two New York City police officers who were posing for a photo.³

Hostage Taking

Hostage taking is the act of unlawfully seizing or detaining an individual with a threat to kill or inflict bodily harm to compel a third person or governmental organization to act, such as paying a ransom. One notable example was the 1991 hostage crisis at a computer store, The Good Guys, in Sacramento, California. The siege lasted eight hours, with over 40 people held at gunpoint. Three were killed, and ten others injured.⁴ Hostage taking may also happen abroad where the authority of the US government has limited reach.

Explosions

Explosive devices have been frequently used by terrorists as one of their preferred weapons of choice, some by suicide bombers. They can be home-made using instructions found over the internet or in books. Materials could be purchased through online retail sites, or at popular shopping places, like pharmacies, hardware, or auto supply stores.⁵ One example was the 2013 Boston marathon bombing, which killed 4 and injured 280 people.

Chemical Weapons

Chemical weapons have the potential to inflict massive harm over a large area. They could also be used in smaller, more confined instances, such as sending sarin, a nerve agent, to a workplace facility. Other chemical weapons include mustard gas, cyanide, and possibly chlorine. Chemical weapons have been found in people’s homes/properties before possible attacks, including 20 pounds of cyanide gas in a terrorist’s apartment.⁶

Biological Weapons

Bioterrorism uses poisons and microorganisms found in nature like viruses, bacteria, fungi, or other toxins, which are used for destructive purposes.⁷ They include anthrax, botulinum, bubonic plague, and ricin.⁸ After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, letters were mixed with anthrax in U.S. mail, killing 5 and sickening 17 people.⁹

Arson

Arsonists or pyro-terrorists intentionally use fire as a weapon to inflict destruction on property, people, and land. In 1990, after unfortunate life events, an arsonist poured gasoline over the stairs (the only exit) in an illegal nightclub, Happy Land Social Club, and threw a lit match on it. 87 patrons were killed due to smoke and their inability to escape.¹⁰

Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks can be conducted in a foreign country, or on US soil. Attackers could infiltrate company networks to gain access towards sensitive information, which they could further use for nefarious objectives. One example was the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021, where hackers shut down the largest US fuel pipeline. This led to long lines at the gas station and higher fuel prices.¹¹

Mass Shooting

Mass shootings can occur because of disgruntled employees, but the shooter may also have nothing to do with the organization or company. They may also be psychologically disturbed people. In the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, a US Army Major serving as a psychiatrist killed 13 and injured 30 soldiers.¹²

Kidnapping

Kidnapping is a crime of “unlawfully seizing and carrying away a person by force or fraud or seizing and detaining a person against his or her will with an intent to carry that person away at a later time.”¹³ One Philadelphia mail carrier was kidnapped earlier in 2021 while making deliveries. The kidnapper used a replica handgun to approach postal workers to force himself into their trucks and steal packages.¹⁴

Mental Health

The trauma that victims and survivors of terrorist attacks go through is often life changing. They may deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and other psychological hardships because of their experience, in addition to any physical injury. Survivors sometimes feel guilty if they survived while others did not. If you sustained a psychological injury, you would want to take care of yourself. This means seeing a medical professional and considering therapy to help put you back on track. Depending on your condition and what you went through, your psychological injury may be compensable.

Let Livingston DiMarzio Help You

For over 40 years, our Nutley, NJ firm has been the site of clients for New Jersey residents and their families ready to take the next step after work-related injury. If you or a family member has been hurt in a work-related terrorist attack, let us help you file a claim. You may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, which include medical treatment, wage replacement, and permanent disability compensation. Workers’ comp also covers death, or survivor benefits for family members of workers who died because of their employment, which can cover funeral expenses.

Our terrorism-related injury lawyers at Livingston DiMarzio know that these types of incidents can happen to anybody, with or without notice. When they do, lifechanging, quick decision making is often employed to protect one’s and others’ lives. Even though terrorists often take the spotlight in these incidents, we believe it is the heroes that try to save others who deserve our recognition. For a free case consultation, contact us today at (973) 943-4106.

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