A settlement is in the works for some or all of the lawsuits brought by workers over illness and injuries stemming from working at the World Trade Center site after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Roughly 10,000 workers have filed lawsuits against 90 government agencies and private companies since 2004. The plaintiffs claim that the city did not provide adequate safety procedures or supervision to shield them from exposure to contaminants.

An attorney for the city said that the court, defense and prosecution have chosen the 18 most severe cases for the first trial date in February.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein, the judge overseeing the case, said in a Friday hearing that a 70-page settlement plan has been drafted.