On Friday, Sergeant Dawn Sorrento, who sued the city for injury claims, heaved a sigh of relief. Sergeant is a police officer among 10,000 rescue and cleanup workers at ground zero. While she had anticipated her case to be among the first to go for hearing this spring, both parties declared a legal agreement of up to $657.5 million Thursday night.

In September 2001, she had helped to coordinate the movement of cranes, dignitaries and cadaver-hunting dogs in and out of ground zero.

She said, "The city finally acknowledges that 9/11 diseases do exist and that people are suffering".

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, of the United States District Court in Manhattan, has said clearly that he aims to play a role in assuring that individuals get fair compensation.

He said that he would take a week to analyze the terms of the agreement and meet next Friday to give his "initial impressions" and to hear from interested parties, including applicants.

Christine LaSala, Chief of the WTC Captive Insurance Company, said that once the settlement is final, the first applicants will start receiving payments within months and the whole process would be finished within a year.

Avelino Montalvo, 52, who worked as a volunteer for the American Red Cross at the World Trade Center site, said, "A couple thousand dollars for all the years of pain and suffering, it's just a drop in the bucket".

Mr. Montalvo said that he is disabled with an upper respiratory illness and takes 17 medicines.