Lawyers for thousands of ground zero workers suing over their exposure to World Trade Center dust have offered to lower their legal fees in an attempt to save a major settlement in the case.
The law firm Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern was initially poised to take home a third or more of a $657 million settlement negotiated this spring.
Now the lawyers have told the judge they are willing to cap their fees at 20 percent, or $115 million.
The rest of the money would be divided among up to 10,000 workers who have illnesses ranging from asthma to cancer. They fear those diseases may have been caused by toxic trade center ash.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein had rejected the settlement, in part because of how much money was going to the lawyers.
——
Information from: Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.