CFR Subpart D

CFR Subpart D
in effect

28 C.F.R. § 104.41 Amount of compensation.

As provided in section 405(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act, in determining the amount of compensation to which a claimant is entitled, the Special Master shall take into consideration the harm to the claimant, the facts of the claim, and the individual circumstances of the claimant. The individual circumstances of the claimant may include the financial needs or financial resources of the claimant or the victim's dependents and beneficiaries. As provided in section 405(b)(6) of the Act, the Special Master shall reduce the amount of compensation by the amount of collateral source compensation the claimant (or, in the case of a Personal Representative, the victim's beneficiaries) has received or is entitled to receive as a result of the terrorist- related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001. In no event shall a Group B claim receive an amount of compensation that is greater than the amount of loss determined pursuant to these regulations less the amount of any collateral source compensation that the claimant has received or is entitled to receive for such claim as a result of the terrorist related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001 for the Group B claim.

28 C.F.R. § 104.42 Applicable state law.

The phrase “to the extent recovery for such loss is allowed under applicable state law,” as used in the statute's definition of economic loss in section 402(5) of the Act, is interpreted to mean that the Special Master is not permitted to compensate claimants for those categories or types of economic losses that would not be compensable under the law of the state that would be applicable to any tort claims brought by or on behalf of the victim.

28 C.F.R. § 104.43 Determination of presumed economic loss for decedents.

In reaching presumed determinations for economic loss for Personal Representatives bringing claims on behalf of eligible decedents, the Special Master shall consider sums corresponding to the following: (a) Loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment. The Special Master, as part of the process of reaching a “determination” pursuant to section 405(b) of the Act, has developed a methodology and may publish updated schedules, tables, or charts that will permit prospective claimants to estimate determinations of loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment based upon individual circumstances of the deceased victim, including: The age of the decedent as of the date of death; the number of dependents who survive the decedent; whether the decedent is survived by a spouse; and the amount and nature of the decedent's income for recent years. The decedent's salary/income in the three years preceding the year of death (or for other years the Special Master deems relevant) shall be evaluated in a manner that the Special Master deems appropriate. The Special Master may, if she deems appropriate, take an average of income figures for the three years preceding the year of death, and may also consider income for other periods that she deems appropriate, including published pay scales for victims who were government or military employees. In computing any loss of earnings due to physical harm as defined herein the Special Master shall, for each year for which any loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment is computed, limit the annual past or projected future gross income of the decedent to an amount that is not greater than $200,000. For purposes of the computation of loss of earnings, annual gross income shall have the meaning given such term in section 61 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. In cases where the victim was a minor child, the Special Master may assume an average income for the child commensurate with the average income of all wage earners in the United States. For victims who were members of the armed services or government employees such as firefighters or police officers, the Special Master may consider all forms of compensation (or pay) to which the victim was entitled. For example, military service members' and uniformed service members' compensation includes all of the various components of compensation, including, but not limited to, basic pay (BPY), basic allowance for housing (BAH), basic allowance for subsistence (BAS), federal income tax advantage (TAD), overtime bonuses, differential pay, and longevity pay. (b) Medical expense loss. This loss equals the documented past out-of-pocket medical expenses that were incurred as a result of the eligible physical harm suffered by the decedent (i.e., those medical expenses that were not paid for or reimbursed through health insurance or other programs). This loss shall be calculated on a case-by-case basis, using documentation and other information submitted by the Personal Representative. The Special Master shall not consider any future medical expense loss. (c) Replacement services loss. For decedents who did not have any prior earned income, or who worked only part-time outside the home, economic loss may be determined with reference to replacement services and similar measures. (d) Loss due to death/burial costs. This loss shall be calculated on a case- by-case basis, using documentation and other information submitted by the personal representative and includes the out-of-pocket burial costs that were incurred. (e) Loss of business or employment opportunities. Such losses shall be addressed through the procedure outlined above in paragraph (a) of this section.

28 C.F.R. § 104.44 Determination of presumed noneconomic losses for death for claims on behalf of decedents.

The presumed non-economic losses for an eligible death shall be $250,000 plus an additional $100,000 for the spouse and each dependent of the deceased victim. Such presumed losses include a noneconomic component of replacement services loss.

28 C.F.R. § 104.45 Determination of presumed economic loss for injured claimants.

In reaching presumed determinations for economic loss for claimants who suffered an eligible physical harm (but did not die), the Special Master shall consider sums corresponding to the following: (a) Loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment. The Special Master may determine the loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment on a case-by-case basis, using documentation and other information submitted by the claimant, regarding the actual amount of work that the claimant has missed or will miss without compensation. Alternatively, the Special Master may determine the loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment by relying upon the methodology created pursuant to § 104.43(a) and adjusting the loss based upon the extent of the victim's physical harm. In determining or computing any loss of earnings due to eligible physical harm, the Special Master shall, for each year of any past or projected future loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment, limit the annual gross income of the claimant to an amount that is not greater than $200,000. For purposes of the computation of loss of earnings, annual gross income shall have the meaning given such term in section 61 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (1) Disability; in general. In evaluating claims of disability, the Special Master will, in general, make a determination regarding whether the claimant is capable of performing his or her usual profession in light of the eligible physical conditions. The Special Master may require that the claimant submit an evaluation of the claimant's disability and ability to perform his or her occupation prepared by medical experts. (2) Total permanent disability. With respect to claims of total permanent disability, the Special Master may accept a determination of disability made by the Social Security Administration as evidence of disability without any further medical evidence or review. The Special Master may also consider determinations of permanent total disability made by other governmental agencies or private insurers in evaluating the claim. (3) Partial disability. With respect to claims of partial disability, the Special Master may consider evidence of the effect of the partial disability on the claimant's ability to perform his or her usual occupation as well as the effect of the partial disability on the claimant's ability to participate in usual daily activities. (b) Medical Expense Loss. This loss equals the documented past out-of-pocket medical expenses that were incurred as a result of the physical harm suffered by the victim (i.e., those medical expenses that were not paid for or reimbursed through health insurance or other programs). The Special Master shall not consider any future medical expense loss. (c) Replacement Services. For claimants who suffer physical harm and did not have any prior earned income or who worked only part time outside the home, economic loss may be determined with reference to replacement services and similar measures. (d) Loss of business or employment opportunities. Such losses shall be addressed through the procedure outlined above in paragraph (a) of this section. (e) Determination of Noneconomic Loss for Claimants Who Have a WTC-Related Physical Condition and Who Are Found Eligible for Economic Loss. The Special Master shall determine the appropriate noneconomic loss for such claimants in accordance with the provisions of § 104.46, taking into account the extent of disability, and may consider whether the claimant has multiple WTC-Related Physical Health Conditions that contribute to the disability.

28 C.F.R. § 104.46 Determination of presumed noneconomic losses for injured claimants

The Special Master may determine the presumed noneconomic losses for claimants who suffered physical harm (but did not die) by relying upon the noneconomic losses described in § 104.44 and adjusting the losses based upon the extent of the victim's physical harm. The presumed noneconomic loss for a claim based on any single type of cancer shall not exceed $250,000 and the presumed noneconomic loss for a claim based on any single type of non-cancer condition shall not exceed $90,000. Such presumed losses include any noneconomic component of replacement services loss. The Special Master has discretion to consider the effect of multiple cancer conditions or multiple cancer and non-cancer conditions in computing the total noneconomic loss.

28 C.F.R. § 104.47 Collateral sources.

(a) Payments that constitute collateral source compensation. The amount of compensation shall be reduced by all collateral source compensation the claimant has received or is entitled to receive as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or debris removal in the immediate aftermath, including life insurance, pension funds, death benefits programs, payments by Federal, State, or local governments related to the terrorist- related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or debris removal and payments made pursuant to the settlement of a civil action as described in section 405(c)(3)(C)(iii) of the Act. In determining the appropriate collateral source offset for future benefit payments, the Special Master may employ an appropriate methodology for determining the present value of such future benefits. In determining the appropriate value of offsets for pension funds, life insurance and similar collateral sources, the Special Master may, as appropriate, reduce the amount of offsets to take account of self- contributions made or premiums paid by the victim during his or her lifetime. In determining the appropriate collateral source offset for future benefit payments that are contingent upon one or more future event(s), the Special Master may reduce such offsets to account for the possibility that the future contingencies may or may not occur. In cases where the recipients of collateral source compensation are not beneficiaries of the awards from the Fund, the Special Master shall have discretion to exclude such compensation from the collateral source offset where necessary to prevent beneficiaries from having their awards reduced by collateral source compensation that they will not receive. (b) Payments that do not constitute collateral source compensation. The following payments received by claimants do not constitute collateral source compensation: (1) The value of services or in-kind charitable gifts such as provision of emergency housing, food, or clothing; and (2) Charitable donations distributed to the beneficiaries of the decedent, to the injured claimant, or to the beneficiaries of the injured claimant by privately funded charitable entities; provided however, that the Special Master may determine that funds provided to victims or their families through a privately funded charitable entity constitute, in substance, a payment described in paragraph (a) of this section. (3) Tax benefits received from the Federal government as a result of the enactment of the Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief Act.

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