Description
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.
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The "suspenseful and completely absorbing story" (San Francisco Chronicle) of how survivors of the worst coal-mining disaster in history triumphed over corporate irresponsibility—written by the young lawyer who took on their case and won.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.
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