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The Buffalo Creek Disaster: The Story of the Surviviors' Unprecedented Lawsuit (Vintage)
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...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
February 12th 1977
by Vintage
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This was the first book assigned for my Civil Procedure class this Fall. Not hard to understand why. As the lengthy subtitle indicates, this is classic white knight lawyer stuff. A hard-won battle by a lawyer (Stern) with a background fighting for Af-Am voting rights in the south in the early 60s to demonstrate the "reckless negligence" of the Pittston coal company in maintaining a dammed reservoir of coal mining waste, leading to a substantial remedy awarded to the sympathetic victims of a terr...more
In February of 1972, Dam 3 in Pitchfork, West Virginia broke and demolished an entire community, taking hundreds of lives and thousands of dollars in property damage. Someone had to pay for not only the damages -- but as this landmark case proved -- the psychological fallout experienced by victims of the disaster. That someone was Pittson, and they were bullied in to paying up by Stern and his legal crew. Although the narration is desperately dry, the events and timeline are what propel this boo...more
Nice introduction to the procedures of a civil case on corporate irresponsibility, written by the lead counsel of the case. The book alternatively feels like a legal drama where both sides utilized legal strategies and procedural choices to battle it out, alongside anecdotes from survivors of the human aspects of suffering and gross negligence that led to the case.
Makes one feel both in awe and in disgust about what legal dealings require of people, and stretching the ethics even for the lawyer...more
Makes one feel both in awe and in disgust about what legal dealings require of people, and stretching the ethics even for the lawyer...more
A very enlightening book revealing a chapter in coal mining history that still shames the mining industry. For those of us involved in the moder day technical design and regulatory permitting of structures associated with the coal mining industry this book is a reminder that there is no substitute for common sense and human empathy when contemplating the possible effects of our work upon the surrounding land and its inhabitants. The hubris and reckless disregard of the mining industry, in this p...more
This book was part of an MBA course in business law, and I'm here commenting on Goodreads because it was simply fantastic. I've read legal thrillers that were not as legitimately moving, suspenseful, and straightforward as this book. Roger Ebert once said that a film that ends with a big courtroom scene is rarely any good, and the same can be said here--no big courtroom scene, not even a trial, but the processes of discovery and negotiation and legal gamesmanship makes for a refreshing approach...more
This was a great book. If you are at all interested in environmental law, read this. It goes into the work it takes to put together a case in a very encouraging way.
1 like · like · see review
The Buffalo Creek Disaster is, if nothing else, informative. It is certainly a good introduction to the process of American federal civil procedure. It is a pinpoint-specific history lesson on a tragic event. It is also a fairly compelling drama, and for nonfiction, it feels rather like a legal thriller, with the bold, young, heroic attorney taking on a big coal company to fight for the traumatized survivors of this horrific disaster, the Buffalo Creek Flood.
That said, the narrative suggests mem...more
That said, the narrative suggests mem...more
My first required reading for law school. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot too. I feel much better informed about the options survivors have after an environmental disaster and it gives a neat window into a lawyer's work.
The book also left me with a big question about why survivors of Hurricanes Katrina in New Orleans haven't launched a suit against the Army Corps of Engineeers. I did a Google search and found out that a very small number of survivors actually have begun a lawsuit against...more
The book also left me with a big question about why survivors of Hurricanes Katrina in New Orleans haven't launched a suit against the Army Corps of Engineeers. I did a Google search and found out that a very small number of survivors actually have begun a lawsuit against...more
IF YOU'RE SACRIFICING AT LEAST YOUR TEARS AS ATTORNEY GERALD M. STERN RELIVES THIS HORRIFIC MULTI-BURIALS OF PEOPLE WHILE THEY RAN IN FEAR OF A COAL MINE'S NEGLIGENCE, THEN KICK START YOUR HUMANITY.
THEY ARE OFTEN FORGOTTEN BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE BURN THEIR MINED FUEL, WE NEGLECT THEIR SAFETY. AS THE SLAG PILES GROW HIGHER THE OWNERS DO NOTHING TO CART IT AWAY. WHEN IT RAINS PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY BURIED ALIVE. BUT THIS ATTORNEY MADE HIS STAND. I AM PROUD TO HAVE READ HIS STORY AND THE TRUTH HE EXPOSE...more
THEY ARE OFTEN FORGOTTEN BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE BURN THEIR MINED FUEL, WE NEGLECT THEIR SAFETY. AS THE SLAG PILES GROW HIGHER THE OWNERS DO NOTHING TO CART IT AWAY. WHEN IT RAINS PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY BURIED ALIVE. BUT THIS ATTORNEY MADE HIS STAND. I AM PROUD TO HAVE READ HIS STORY AND THE TRUTH HE EXPOSE...more
Thoughtful story of Arnold & Porter's lawsuit against the coal company behind the Buffalo Creek dam disaster. Very similar to A Civil Action, except that this author had much more help and legal muscle behind his operation than the practitioner in A Civil Action.
This book probably wouldn't be all that interesting to non-law folks, but I found the book a good depiction of what litigation was like, with good insights into lawyer decision-making. My favorite anecdote had to be the one where on...more
This book probably wouldn't be all that interesting to non-law folks, but I found the book a good depiction of what litigation was like, with good insights into lawyer decision-making. My favorite anecdote had to be the one where on...more
Tough luck town, tough luck profession and a real heart-breaking story. Chalk one up for families of the miners and for the “good” lawyers who represented them. Also gives an insight into coal-mining and how it is a way of life in certain parts of the country. Really is a must read for anyone considering going to law school with an interest in litigation. It is also a very enjoyable read for people simply interested in the way our justice system & tort litigation really works and not what yo...more
I'm going to start reviewing books I read in law school that have some chance of being of general interest, since I suspect that my non-law reading will decline significantly.
This was an engrossing story of a mining community destroyed (over 100 dead, the town wiped out) by mining company negligence, and a legal procedural about the suit against the company as told by the plaintiff's lawyer. It's apparently standard reading for first-year law students, as it introduces many of the basic concept...more
This was an engrossing story of a mining community destroyed (over 100 dead, the town wiped out) by mining company negligence, and a legal procedural about the suit against the company as told by the plaintiff's lawyer. It's apparently standard reading for first-year law students, as it introduces many of the basic concept...more
Aug 24, 2007
Elizabeth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in man-made disasters and/or law
Just read this for law school, which I started this month. I have said good-bye for the next four years to my local bookstore (my usual place to find the next book I'd like to read) and said hello to casebooks on civil procedure and contracts.
The professor had us read this book, which is more narrative, as a way to ease us into civil procedure. Very kind of her. The story is interesting enough that I would have liked to have read it even if I weren't in law school. In W. Va. in the mid-1970's, h...more
The professor had us read this book, which is more narrative, as a way to ease us into civil procedure. Very kind of her. The story is interesting enough that I would have liked to have read it even if I weren't in law school. In W. Va. in the mid-1970's, h...more
This is a quick little read, with an arguably happy ending (although whether the survivors of Buffalo Creek "won" is debatable). It's a good lens through which to contemplate things like the difficulties that arise when rich city lawyers represent people who are none of those things, and how environmental corner cutting leads to disasters that companies then try to weasel out of dealing with. It's also an interesting snapshot of the internal workings of an environmental disaster lawsuit.
Apr 08, 2013
Eddy Allen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arts-and-historical
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...more
Mar 25, 2013
Lani
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
laundry-room,
non-fiction
I enjoy the weird finds that turn into fascinating reads.
The book seems to be geared towards a law student audience, in that it discusses much of the methodolgy used by the legal team suing on behalf of the Buffalo Creek flood victims. Fortunately, this isn't all legal jargon and dry text, and this ends up a suprisingly readable book.
The chapters tend to blend the personal histories with the legal process, keeping a very human side to this telling. I think that's particularly important when wri...more
The book seems to be geared towards a law student audience, in that it discusses much of the methodolgy used by the legal team suing on behalf of the Buffalo Creek flood victims. Fortunately, this isn't all legal jargon and dry text, and this ends up a suprisingly readable book.
The chapters tend to blend the personal histories with the legal process, keeping a very human side to this telling. I think that's particularly important when wri...more
Guess I'm just too cynical to enjoy the lawyer-as-hero genre. Statements like "sometimes you do well by doing good" just contribute to my growing sense of cynicism. I'd stick to fiction - To Kill a Mockingbird, for example - for the inspiring lawyer genre. That said, the book is a good example of the process of preparing for a mass tort suit, interjecting a sense of the politics, personalities, and mundane reality into what's largely a tedious, often frustrating, and did I say tedious? process,...more
Amazing book even though I had to read it for class. Despite being written by a lawyer it is very easy to understand and is written in a way that makes you want to keep turning the pages. I definitely recommend this book for anyone in law school or thinking about going to law school or just someone interested in disasters and the legal ramifications.
Relatively interesting to see the laws of civil procedure and the strange, convoluted American legal system. Always nice to see the populist leader overcome the evil corporate behemoth. Pretty impressive that the lawyer, a Harvard JD graduate, was willing to fore-go prestige and the comfy life to help people taken advantage of.
Author is a bit self-righteous, but nonetheless a very interesting book about a terrible disaster and the resulting lawsuit. Some very vivid descriptions of the disaster from the survivors, and lots of damning evidence against the company. I would read his other book on a different coal mining disaster and lawsuit
Another law school required book, which turned out to be not only interesting but gave good insight into the inner-workings of the legal system as it works for plaintiffs. Before I read this, I was completely unaware of the coal-mining catastrophe in Buffalo. This was a good, though not completely riveting, read.
Sep 11, 2009
Maria
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone intersted in the civil side of law or history
Recommended to Maria by:
Stiglitz
I had to read this for my Civil Procedures class before the first day. The task seemed daunting with all the other reading I needed to do, but it was actually a pretty good book. It is a very interesting look at not only the industry, but how our country reacts in disaster. Not a lot has changed, I am sorry to say.
Okay - admittedly I had to read this for a class, but it is an amazing story about a coal mine disaster in West Virginia and the fight of the victims to get some meaningful settlement from the coal company. I think I cried three times while reading this. It's an emotional and wortwhile read.
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The author is a little self-aggrandizing, but the book is still a great introduction to problems with coal mining in Appalachia and issues relating to rural justice. It's a fun, easy, provocative and evocative read, taking you to places and problems you may not have dealt with if these issues aren't on your regular docket.
The quoted descriptions of the disaster from the survivors were enough to bring me to tears, multiple times. I would suggest this book, even if somebody weren't into law stuff, it was just so good, so sad, but so good.
I read this book for litigation drafting class in law school. It tells the tale of a small coal mining village being devastated by a flood caused by overflowing sludge from a waste dump of the mine. The powerful, political D.C. firm of Arnold and Porter took the case pro bono.
While the book was unabashedly pro-plaintiff and anti-big corporation (a tired theme nowadays), it was a mildly interesting read that managed to keep me reading until the end. The book should appeal to both lawyers and nonl...more
While the book was unabashedly pro-plaintiff and anti-big corporation (a tired theme nowadays), it was a mildly interesting read that managed to keep me reading until the end. The book should appeal to both lawyers and nonl...more
Was recommended reading for my civil procedure class, but was way better than the class. Interesting glimpse into lawyer civil procedure strategy, but still interesting even if you know nothing about civil procedure.
I use this book in class - before there was Katrina, there was Buffalo Creek. Not a natural disaster, but a man-made tragedy which was avoidable. Textbook case of corporate neglect coupled with an ensuing lawsuit.
This is probably the best book to read if you're contemplating going to law school. How much you like it will probably serve as a good barometer of how much you'll like practicing litigation.
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Second, you've clearly gone through the looking glass into l...more
Aug 19, 2009 09:24am