By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Today is the deadline for thousands of first responders who are suing the city over their exposure to 9/11 toxic dust to sign on to a proposed settlement that could be worth more than $800 million.
For the settlement to become effective, 95 percent of the roughly 10,000 plaintiffs, which include emergency workers, firefighters and police officers, have to opt into the terms of the deal, and file the paperwork by midnight Monday.
As of Friday, 90 percent of those eligible had agreed, according to the Associated Press.
"A lot of people appear to be making a last minute decision," Paul Napoli, a leader of the legal team representing most of the plaintiffs, told the AP on Friday. "It's like tax day ... there is going to be a lot of last minute wrangling."
On Monday, the judge ordered all parties involved not to discuss numbers until he's had a chance to meet with them, which will likely be on Tuesday, according to a source close to the case.
Once all the various defendants settle, the amount could be as high as $815 million to be split amongst the plaintiffs depending on the severity of their illnesses, according to NY1. Each plaintiff could get anywhere from several thousand dollars to $2 million, the news network reported.
Napoli was confident about hitting the target of getting 95 percent of the plaintiffs on board with the deal, according to the AP.
The plaintiffs claim to have been exposed to toxic dust at the site of the former World Trade Center and are pointing fingers at the government and its contractors for failing to provide the workers with appropriate equipment to protect their lungs.
Many who were first opposed to taking the deal have since signed on because they worried they wouldn't be able to collect otherwise, the AP reported.
Retired FDNY Lt. Kenny Specht called the deal "the best we're going to do," the wire service reported.
Those who accept the settlement with the city would still be able to recieve money from the $7 billion 9/11 Health Bill currently in Congress.
