By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Lawyers for New York City called some health-related claims made by 9/11 first responders and survivors "baseless" and asked a judge to dismiss their lawsuits against the city, news sources reported Thursday.
One lawyer for the thousands of plaintiffs called the move a last-minute desperation shot.
"He thinks these guys should go home and get no money," Paul Napoli said of the city's lead attorney, the Associated Press reported. "He does not think much of police officers or firefighters."
More than 9,000 workers filed lawsuits against the city saying working amidst the dust and debris at Ground Zero led to sometimes severe health problems including cancer, post traumatic stress disorder and respiratory problems.
But lawyers for the city said that not all of the reported illnesses are a result of the 9/11 rescue efforts.
The city's legal team reportedly found examples were workers were sick before the attacks, and have asked for 17 of the suits to be dismissed on a variety of grounds.
The city said one former FDNY battalion chief, who claimed his respiratory problems were a result of the dust from Ground Zero, had been granted a disability pension for the same type of breathing ailments in 1999, according to the AP.
The city also said an overweight utility worker who claimed he had shortness of breath after the attacks was diagnosed with breathing problems before 2001, the AP reported.
