Twelve September 11th responders are set to have their day in court this spring.

They will be the first to have their cases heard, out of more than 9,000 people who filed lawsuits against the city, claiming they fell ill because of ash and dust at the World Trade Center site.

The group going to trial includes the family of a firefighter who died of throat cancer, another firefighter who needed a lung transplant and several police officers with asthma.

The workers argue the city and contractors should pay out more than a billion dollars in damages for failing to give them proper protection.

Defense lawyers say the city cannot be held responsible for what happened in the first hours and days after the terrorist attack because of the magnitude.

They also say the city tried to protect responders by providing 130,000 respirators.

The trials are set to begin on May 18.

(Source: NY1)