Gerald M. Stern

"A must book for those interested in the continuing American battle between the corporations and the individual citizen".--Congressional Affairs Press.

How the Survivors of One of the Worst Disasters in Coal-mining History Brought Suit Against the Coal Company--and Won

The Buffalo Creek Disaster

An in-depth account of the February 1972 disaster in which a dam built by the Pittston Coal Company gave way, killing 125 people, injuring more than 1,100, and leaving more than four thousand homeless, focuses on the survivors' lawsuit against the company, which became a landmark case of a legal triumph over corporate responsibility. Reprint. 17,500 first printing.

How the Survivors of One of the Worst Disasters in Coal-mining History Brought Suit Against the Coal Company -- and Won

Behind-the-scenes account by the attorney from the Washington D.C. law firm that represented the Buffalo Creek Disaster survivors in a lawsuit. There were over 4,000 survivors of the flood that devastated over 16 small West Virginia communities and took 125 lives.

The Story of the Survivors' Unprecedented Lawsuit

One Saturday morning in February 1972, an impoundment dam owned by the Pittston Coal Company burst, sending a 130 million gallon, 25 foot tidal wave of water, sludge, and debris crashing into southern West Virginia's Buffalo Creek hollow. It was one of the deadliest floods in U.S. history. 125 people were killed instantly, more than 1,000 were injured, and over 4,000 were suddenly homeless. Instead of accepting the small settlements offered by the coal company's insurance offices, a few hundred of the survivors banded together to sue. This is the story of their triumph over incredible odds and corporate irresponsibility, as told by Gerald M. Stern, who as a young lawyer and took on the case and won.

Gerald M. Stern

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