Posted on 09/21/2007 3:07:40 PM PDT by SmithL
New York (AP) -- Nearly 300 workers who want to sue the city for illnesses or injuries suffered at ground zero will have their claims heard in federal court, a state appeals panel has ruled.
The Appellate Division decision Thursday reversed a lower court ruling that had allowed the workers' bids for litigation to proceed. The requests were filed by people who worked at the World Trade Center site after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The appeals court said federal law gave the U.S. District Court in Manhattan jurisdiction over all claims for loss of property, personal injury, or death resulting from or relating to the attacks.
The appeals court said a state judge wrongly allowed the workers' cases to proceed, even though he recognized he lacked jurisdiction to decide the merits of the claims or whether they were filed too late.
Lawyer Marc Bern, whose firm argued for most of the petitioning workers, said their cases now will go to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Taking away states rights.
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