9/11 Attorneys Announce Final Settlement Agreement With City’s Insurer Signed, Checks Issuing In Twenty Days

New York, New York January 5, 2011, for immediate release:  Ground Zero Plaintiff’s Liaison Counsel Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern, LLP announced today that all of the necessary parties have signed the final documents necessary for the WTC Captive Insurance Company, Inc., the insurance carrier for the City of New York and its Contractors, to commence payment of the settlement monies.  The signing of this document, called the “Affirmation of Final Settlement Agreement,” took place on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 and represents the last step that had to be completed before plaintiffs can start to receive their first settlement checks.  Those initial payments are now slated to be released to plaintiffs’ liaison counsel by the end of January for dissemination to the individual plaintiffs who have settled.  The firm’s announcement to its clients reads as follows:

“We are pleased to report that together with the WTC Captive Insurance Company, Inc., we have signed the Affirmation of Final Settlement Agreement today.  This milestone starts the timetable by which the Settlement Claims Neutral makes the initial payments, reviews files and makes accelerated and final payments.  We understand that the initial payments will be released to Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel at the end of January.  We also understand that the New York State Insurance Department will give final approval to Metlife so that Certificates of Insurance may be issued as early as February.  We thank all of our clients for their support and patience while all of the work to reach this milestone was being done.”