My husband and I were talking about the upcoming fundraising events to help the victims of this terrible tradgedy. My question is if most of these people were at work at the time, why wouldnt workers compensation cover this type of claim? I am sure that the firefighters would most certainly be covered. I am not trying to be disrespectful and I feel it is wonderful that we are all pulling together. Just curious?

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), September 21, 2001

Answers

I certainly don't know much about workman's comp but doesn't it just come into play if you are physically injured? They say that upwards of 50,000 people worked in the WTC. 5000 lost their lives. That still puts 45,000 out of work. Not to mention all the people working in the adjacent areas. Hopefully most will eventually be employed again but in the meantime they have families to care for, mortgages to pay, lives to rebuild. They need all the help America can give them. A lot of them went through a hell the rest of the country can only imagine.

-- teresa (teresam@ascent.net), September 21, 2001.

I don't know if it is true or not, but I heard that the insurance companies are considering the attacks an "act of war" which is excluded in all policies - both workers comp and life insurance.

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), September 21, 2001.

comp would cover any that was hurt "AT THE JOB", unemployment for those that qualify. Insurance (hopefully),, but we all know it doesnt cover it all. But,, who/where do you send the money too?? I read that new york has enough supplies to last years now. Ill be putting some money into the stock market,,, maybe get the economy going

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), September 21, 2001.

Before you give ANY money to United Fund, Red Cross or Salvation Army, check out what happened to the money they got after the Oklahoma City bombing. If you care determined to give, find a way to get it to the victims DIRECTLY without going through any of the "charitable" organizations. When the Girl Scouts come around selling cookies, I give them $5 and tell them to keep the cookies. They make more on my one donation than they do on a case of cookies. There's gotta a special place in H--- for those who take advantage of charity in times like these.

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), September 21, 2001.

Hmmmm. I heard a report that the insurance companies are NOT considering this an act of war, that they've announced they'll be paying. I wasn't clear from the report exactly which insurance companies these were.

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), September 22, 2001.

I read an article a couple of years ago that rated charitable organizations on several different criteria. I believe the top three were Mennonite relief, Friends service organization, and Catholic relief charities. If anyone has a concern about your money getting to the right place, maybe you could consider one of these three organizations. --vicki

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), September 22, 2001.

The majority of all the insurance companies have publicly stated that they will NOT be taking the "act of war" loophole - kudos to them. There is one company (ironically, it's an Arab company, in Bahrain, I think) that is trying to claim the "act of war" clause. No word yet on what will happen to their dismembered bodies if they ever succeed in their claim and the families get a hold of them.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), September 22, 2001.

my firt marriage was ended as a military widow in 1987. Well it took the military for death insurance and SSI 6 months to give me a cent. I had two kids to raise and was givin my husbands last pay check and payed vacation. I really watched every penny. Thank goodness I had that. It takes time to get anything to people in these cases that is I think what alot of this money is going for right off the bat. Just living exp. It is hard to start over with nothing and no job to boot or starting over with the lose of a family member. They have alot of people to help and if you just think what your food bill is for a month and times it by about 40 thousand people that don't have the towers to go back to work to and there familys thats alot of people to feed.

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), September 22, 2001.

And keep in mind that over 6,000 people were injured, some of them very seriously. Their medical bills are going to be horrendous - an additional burden on the families, even if they had good insurance. Plus there are all the people who, wherever they worked, have been unable to return to their homes in the area, some may never be able to depending on the condition of the building.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 22, 2001.

I can assure you the Mennonite Relief Fund will certainly use the money appropriately. You will not see them in the front line now as they always wait for the "long haul" and people that somehow fall through the cracks. A couple van loads of people from my church went down to North Carolina and roofed some new homes that had been built by the Mennonite relief service in a town that was all black and no one had insurance when a dike broke during the hurricane and they all lost everything two years ago. There are lots of families down there still living in horrible temporary housing. The Fireman's Relief Fund is also a wonderful organization. They are committed to helping the families for a lifetime of need. You won't get workman's comp if you are dead. The life insurance of your company is not necessarily all that much. Check out your own.......would it be enough to replace your wages or services for life?? This is not just about the towers either. Lots of other buildings fell. What about the shoeshine guys, restrauant workers etc. etc. This is so big that we have not ever experienced anything quite like it.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), September 22, 2001.

And then there is :

THE SOCIAL SECYRITY, DEATH BENEFIT.

It IS $255... (if you qualify).

-- Ed Copp (edcopp@yahoo.com), September 22, 2001.

Workers comp payments to fireman's survivors are 100% of the firemans salary, tax free. Payments continue indefinitely (for life) to surviving widow/widower and to children as long as they are in school. Their is also a lump sum settlement which is $100,000 or more. Police would have a similar workers comp arrangement.

-- fred (fred@mddc.com), September 28, 2001.