9/12: The Epic Battle of the Ground Zero Responders

Summary

9/12 is the saga of the epic nine-year legal battle William H. Groner waged against the City of New York and its contractors on behalf of more than ten thousand first responders who became ill as a result of working on the Ground Zero cleanup. These first responders, such as AT&T Disaster Relief head Gary Acker, New York Police Department detectives Candiace Baker, Thomas Ryan, and Mindy Hersh, rushed to Ground Zero and remained to work on the rescue and recovery mission, which lasted for the next nine months. Their selfless bravery and humanity were rewarded with horrible health issues resulting from the toxic stew of chemicals present in the dust and debris that government officials such as Mayor Rudy Giuliani and EPA chief Christine Todd Whitman had assured them was safe. William H. Groner, a lead attorney in the mass tort litigation, fought for their illnesses to be acknowledged and for them to receive validation and closure, as well as compensation—an eventual aggregate award of more than $800 million.

As detailed in 9/12, the battle for the ground zero responders was waged not only in the courtroom but also in the press, in medical and scientific research centers, and among politicians at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as in the halls of Congress to pass the Zadroga Health and Compensation Act. 9/12 weaves together Groner’s firsthand account with glimpses into the first responders’ lives as they try to understand and overcome their illnesses. The result is an intimate look into their battles—physical, mental, and legal—that will leave you cheering for these heroes who, in spite of everything, would do it all again.

Told by Groner and award-winning journalist Tom Teicholz, 9/12 is the story of the brave public servants who showed up when their country needed them most, their fight for redress, and their victory in the face of the seemingly insurmountable.