28 CFR 104.22 – Filing for compensation
(a) Compensation form; “filing.” A compensation claim shall be deemed “filed” for purposes of section 405(b)(3) of the Act (providing that the Special Master shall issue a determination regarding the matters that were the subject of the claim not later than 120 calendar days after the date on which a claim is filed), and for any time periods in this part, when it is substantially complete.
Terms Used In 28 CFR 104.22
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Decedent: A deceased person.
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
- Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
(b) Eligibility Form. The Special Master shall develop an Eligibility Form, which may be a portion of a complete claim form, that will require the claimant to provide information necessary for determining the claimant’s eligibility to recover from the Fund.
(1) The Eligibility Form may require that the claimant certify that he or she has dismissed any pending lawsuit seeking damages as a result of the terrorist-related airplane crashes of September 11, 2001, or for damages arising from or related to debris removal (except for actions seeking collateral source benefits) no later than January 2, 2011 and that there is no pending lawsuit brought by a dependent, spouse, or beneficiary of the victim.
(2) The Special Master may require as part of the notice requirement pursuant to § 104.4(b) that the Personal Representative of the deceased individual provide copies of a designated portion of the Eligibility Form to the immediate family of the decedent (including, but not limited to, the spouse, former spouses, children, other dependents, and parents), to the executor, administrator, and beneficiaries of the decedent’s will, and to any other persons who may reasonably be expected to assert an interest in an award or to have a cause of action to recover damages relating to the wrongful death of the decedent.
(3) The Eligibility Form may require claimants to provide the following proof:
(i) Proof of death: Death certificate or similar official documentation;
(ii) Proof of presence at site: Documentation sufficient to establish presence at a 9/11 crash site, which may include, without limitation, a death certificate, proof of residence, such as a lease or utility bill, records of employment or school attendance, contemporaneous medical records, contemporaneous records of federal, state, city or local government, a pay stub, official personnel roster, site credentials, an affidavit or declaration of the decedent’s or injured claimant’s employer, or other sworn statement (or unsworn statement complying with 28 U.S.C. § 1746) regarding the presence of the victim;
(iii) Proof of physical harm: Certification of a conclusion by the WTC Health Program that the claimant suffers from a WTC-Related Physical Health Condition and is eligible for treatment under the WTC Health Program, or verification by the WTC Program Administrator that the claimant suffers from a WTC-Related Physical Health Condition, or other credible medical records from a licensed medical professional.
(iv) Personal Representative: Copies of relevant legal documentation, including court orders; letters testamentary or similar documentation; proof of the purported Personal Representative’s relationship to the decedent; copies of wills, trusts, or other testamentary documents; and information regarding other possible beneficiaries as requested by the Eligibility Form;
(v) Any other information that the Special Master deems necessary to determine the claimant’s eligibility.
(vi) The Special Master may also require waivers, consents, or authorizations from claimants to obtain directly from third parties tax returns, medical information, employment information, or other information that the Special Master deems relevant in determining the claimant’s eligibility or award, and may request an opportunity to review originals of documents submitted in connection with the Fund.
(vii) The Special Master may publish a list of individuals who have filed Eligibility Forms on behalf of a deceased victim and the names of the deceased victims for whom compensation is sought, but shall not publish the content of any such form.
(c) Personal Injury Compensation Form and Death Compensation Form. The Special Master shall develop a Personal Injury Compensation Form, which may be a portion of a complete claim form, that each injured claimant must submit. The Special Master shall also develop a Death Compensation Form, which may be a portion of a complete claim form, that each Personal Representative must submit. These forms shall require the claimant to provide certain information that the Special Master deems necessary to determining the amount of any award, including information concerning income, collateral sources, benefits, settlements and attorneys’ fees relating to civil actions described in section 405(c)(3)(C)(iii) of the Act, and other financial information, and shall require the claimant to state the factual basis for the amount of compensation sought. It shall also allow the claimant to submit certain other information that may be relevant, but not necessary, to the determination of the amount of any award.
(1) The Special Master may ask claimants to submit certain tax returns or tax transcripts for returns that the Special Master deems appropriate for determination of an award. The Special Master may also require waivers, consents, or authorizations from claimants to obtain directly from third parties medical information, employment information, or other information that the Special Master deems relevant to determining the amount of any award.
(2) Claimants may attach to the `Personal Injury Compensation Form” or “Death Compensation Form” any additional statements, documents or analyses by physicians, experts, advisors, or any other person or entity that the claimant believes may be relevant to a determination of compensation.
(d) Submission of a claim. Section 405(c)(3)(C) of the Act provides that upon the submission of a claim under the Fund, the claimant waives the right to file a civil action (or to be a party to an action) in any Federal or State court for damages sustained as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or debris removal, except for civil actions to recover collateral source obligations and civil actions against any person who is a knowing participant in any conspiracy to hijack any aircraft or commit any terrorist act. A claim shall be deemed submitted for purposes of section 405(c)(3)(C) of the Act when the Eligibility Form is deemed filed, regardless of whether any time limits are stayed or tolled.
(e) Amendment of claims. A claimant who has previously submitted a claim may amend such claim to include:
(1) An injury or loss that the claimant had not suffered (or did not reasonably know the claimant suffered) at the time the claimant filed the previous claim;
(2) A condition that the Special Master has identified and published in accordance with 104.21(a), since the time the claimant filed the previous claim, as a presumptively covered condition;
(3) An injury for which the claimant was previously compensated by the Fund, but only if that injury has substantially worsened, resulting in damages or loss that was not previously compensated.
(f) Provisions of information by third parties. Any third party having an interest in a claim brought by a Personal Representative may provide written statements or information regarding the Personal Representative’s claim. The Claims Evaluator or the Special Master or the Special Master’s designee may, at his or her discretion, include the written statements or information as part of the claim.