Barasch & McGarry - Lawyers for the 9/11 Community

05/30/2026

On this day, May 30th, we mark a solemn milestone: the 24th anniversary of the official end of the recovery operations at Ground Zero.

On May 30, 2002, the final steel column, draped in an American flag, was removed from the site in an honor guard procession. It concluded more than nine months of tireless, agonizing work by over 100,000 first responders, construction workers, volunteers, and community members who searched the debris day and night.

While the physical recovery operations ended 24 years ago, the true cost of that sacrifice is still being paid today.

Those brave individuals worked through toxic air filled with asbestos, benzene, and heavy metals. Today, tens of thousands of 9/11 responders and survivors are living with (or have tragically been lost to) respiratory illnesses and 69 different types of 9/11-related cancers.

We must never forget that for so many, 9/11 didn’t end on 9/11. The aftermath is still a daily reality.

05/28/2026

Today is the anniversary of FDNY Firefighter Ray Pfeifer’s passing. In this archive footage recorded with Shelli Sonstein in 2021, his wife Caryn tells his story.

Despite being in a wheelchair and battling stage 4 cancer, Ray made trip after trip to Washington, D.C. with Jon Stewart and John Feal to advocate for free healthcare and compensation for those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses.

Caryn shares that Ray never got over the guilt of swapping shifts that day with an FDNY brother who was killed at the World Trade Center, alongside 342 of their peers. For Ray, the mental battle began that morning—and as Caryn says, he was never the same.

05/25/2026

As we pause this Memorial Day to remember and honor those who served and sacrificed for our country, we also reflect on the courage and service of the 9/11 community.

While Memorial Day honors those lost on the battlefield, we never forget those who answered the call here at home at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville. Thousands of responders, recovery workers, and survivors continue to battle 9/11-related illnesses, and far too many families continue to feel the lasting impact of that day.

Our commitment to this community is deeply personal. Since 2001, we have stood beside those affected by 9/11. Our office, located just two blocks from Ground Zero, experienced the attacks firsthand. Members of our own team have suffered loss, and many of our staff have lost parents to 9/11-related illnesses. For us, this work has never simply been a profession. It is a responsibility rooted in shared experience, remembrance, and service.

As we look ahead to the 25th remembrance of 9/11, we remain committed to advocating for responders, survivors, and their families, while honoring the memory of those we have lost.

This Memorial Day, we remember with gratitude and resolve.

Wishing you a meaningful Memorial Day.

05/21/2026

Our firm was honored to sponsor the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Steel Across America Tour—both at its launch steps from the World Trade Center site and at its stop this past weekend in Land O’ Lakes, Florida.

Seeing the steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center served as a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and resilience shown by first responders in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. We will never forget their selfless service.

05/13/2026

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Kiara Badalamente’s family had planned a trip to the Native American Museum in Lower Manhattan. Despite the beautiful weather, her mother woke up and decided the family should stay home so the kids could play outside. Call it luck, call it a sixth sense, call it a mother’s intuition.

While four-year-old Kiara watched a Disney movie, her father, Joe—an NYPD officer who had taken the day off for the family outing—learned of the attacks and immediately drove to his precinct. Had he not been off duty that morning, Kiara knows he likely would have been at the World Trade Center when the towers collapsed.

Joe survived the day but spent the following months working on "the pile." In the years since, he has lost dozens of friends and colleagues to 9/11-related cancers and mental health struggles.

Today, Kiara’s life has come full circle. As an Assistant Manager at Barasch & McGarry, she works just blocks from Ground Zero, managing a team that helps 9/11 survivors and responders navigate the Victim Compensation Fund. The work is deeply personal. She has guided her own father's friends through the claims process and spoken with over a thousand clients whose lives were altered that morning.

Hearing these stories daily has shaped Kiara into who she is today. Working with the 9/11 community has helped her grow into a more compassionate and understanding person, because you truly never know what someone else is going through behind closed doors.

05/12/2026

For 25 years, the families of those we lost on 9/11 have carried unimaginable grief. But thousands more have been lost in the years since from cancers and illnesses caused by the toxic exposure at Ground Zero.

This new seventh moment of silence at the annual 9/11 Memorial ceremony is long overdue.

It recognizes an important truth: the impact of 9/11 did not end on September 11, 2001. It continues every single day for first responders, downtown workers, survivors, and the families still mourning loved ones taken too soon by 9/11-related disease.

For decades, advocates fought to make sure these men and women were never forgotten. This tribute ensures future generations will remember not only those we lost that day, but those we continue to lose because of it.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Especially the responders, survivors, and advocates who refused to let this community be overlooked.

We will never stop fighting for the 9/11 community.

The moment will be marked at the conclusion of the reading of the names of those killed that day and will then be a permanent part of the annual ceremony moving forward, the memorial and museum ann…

05/07/2026

“Civilians like Rudy Giuliani are entitled to the same free health care as the cops and firefighters.”

Our Managing Partner, Michael Barasch, was recently featured in The New York Times regarding the health of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. This story is a vital reminder: the toxins at Ground Zero didn’t discriminate, and neither does the right to medical care.

Whether you were a first responder, an office worker, a resident, a student or teacher, you are entitled to the same benefits.

The former New York City mayor, who is improving after a serious case of pneumonia, suffers from a respiratory condition linked to his exposure to toxins at ground zero, his spokesman says.

05/04/2026

Today, on International Firefighters’ Day, we honor the sacrifices that firefighters make to keep our communities safe. We especially remember those who lost their lives in service to the 9/11 community.

To firefighters everywhere: thank you. We recognize the courage it takes to risk your lives for the safety of others, and we are forever grateful for the strength and protection you provide today and every day.

05/01/2026

The pH of 9/11 dust was the same as Drano. We breathed it, and it coated our skin. Today, skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting the 9/11 community.

Know what to look for. The ABCDE rule helps identify potential melanomas: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter, and Evolving changes.

Early detection saves lives. Annual skin exams aren’t optional—they’re essential.