The long-awaited expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act will soon be accepting claims by New Mexicans, and residents of other states, for harm from nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining, a New Mexico Department of Justice news release said.However, with the claim submission process and guidance yet to begin, the state attorney general and a leader from an organization instrumental in getting the RECA expansion passed are warning that scammers are already on the prowl.”New Mexicans who have been affected by these exposures deserve compensation — and they deserve to get that compensation free from bad actors attempting to take advantage of them,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez.Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, cautioned that rushing to submit RECA claims could potentially put people on the wrong track.”The people of New Mexico have waited 80 years for acknowledgement of the harm they suffered as a result of being overexposed to radiation from the Trinity bomb,” Cordova said. “We hope everyone will be patient a little longer as details of the claim process are developed. Please don’t allow someone to take part of your claim out of fear or some sense of urgency. We will do all we can to assist with the claims process once the guidelines are released.”Those planning to submit claims should know that the paid services of an attorney or organization are not needed to file a claim, and if they are hired, they will charge a fee legally capped at 2%. If the claim is rejected, the fee can be increased to 10%.Those planning to submit claims should not hand over records to anyone they are unsure about. Official Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program clinics in New Mexico will be available to help people with their claims with the assistance of trained volunteers. Suspected scams should be reported to the NMDOJ online at nmdoj.gov/submit-a-complaint or by calling 505-490-4060. More information on the RECA expansion is available online at TrinityDownwinders.com
The long-awaited expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act will soon be accepting claims by New Mexicans, and residents of other states, for harm from nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining, a New Mexico Department of Justice news release said.
However, with the claim submission process and guidance yet to begin, the state attorney general and a leader from an organization instrumental in getting the RECA expansion passed are warning that scammers are already on the prowl.
“New Mexicans who have been affected by these exposures deserve compensation — and they deserve to get that compensation free from bad actors attempting to take advantage of them,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez.
Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, cautioned that rushing to submit RECA claims could potentially put people on the wrong track.
“The people of New Mexico have waited 80 years for acknowledgement of the harm they suffered as a result of being overexposed to radiation from the Trinity bomb,” Cordova said. “We hope everyone will be patient a little longer as details of the claim process are developed. Please don’t allow someone to take part of your claim out of fear or some sense of urgency. We will do all we can to assist with the claims process once the guidelines are released.”
Those planning to submit claims should know that the paid services of an attorney or organization are not needed to file a claim, and if they are hired, they will charge a fee legally capped at 2%. If the claim is rejected, the fee can be increased to 10%.
Those planning to submit claims should not hand over records to anyone they are unsure about. Official Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program clinics in New Mexico will be available to help people with their claims with the assistance of trained volunteers.
Suspected scams should be reported to the NMDOJ online at nmdoj.gov/submit-a-complaint or by calling 505-490-4060. More information on the RECA expansion is available online at TrinityDownwinders.com
