Sheila Birnbaum, a passionate and skillful product liability defense lawyer, has been chosen to oversee the health claims fund created by last year's Zadroga bill for those who claim illness due to exposure to dust and debris at the site of the 9/11 catastrophe. Her choice was a disappointment to those who hoped a more plaintiff-oriented custodian would be selected. But the characteristic skepticism of the defense-minded is the trait that principals (here the USDOJ) look for in a trustee.
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Wednesday chose a special master to administer a multibillion-dollar fund created to provide financial compensation for rescue workers and others who became sick from toxic fumes, dust and smoke from ground zero after the 2001 attack.
The appointment of Sheila L. Birnbaum, a lawyer specializing in tort cases who has mediated lawsuits brought by the families of 9/11 victims, represents a major step in the implementation of a law Congress passed late last year to reopen September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
“Sheila Birnbaum brings extensive experience, credibility and unique insight to this important role,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement. “She has worked closely with, and won the trust of, the families of 9/11 victims with whom she worked.
The special master will have broad authority over the fund. The special master will help write the rules and procedures for the $2.8 billion fund, will supervise the fund’s staff and will personally approve the size of individual compensation packages people claiming that they are sick as a result of exposure to toxic dust and debris at ground zero.
“My first priority will be to sit down with the people who will be most affected by the program, and see how we can design a program that is fair, transparent and easy to navigate,” Ms. Birnbaum said in a statement.
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