9/11 VICTIMS MAY NOW SUE SAUDI ARABIA
What Does JASTA Mean for You?
JASTA, or the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, became law on September 28, 2016. Before the passage of JASTA, foreign governments like Saudi Arabia were immune from prosecution in U.S. courts even if they provided material support for terrorist acts, including the September 11 terror attacks. Now, nations can be sued in U.S. federal court if they are found to have played any role in terrorist attacks that killed Americans on United States soil.
The law allows families of the Sept. 11 victims to amend lawsuits already underway — or file new suits — to directly sue Saudi Arabia. However, much is still unclear. The attorney general has the right to intervene in the lawsuits and get a judge to stay the litigation as long as there are continuing discussions with the Saudis about a possible resolution. Moreover, many in Congress want to amend the law so that other countries aren’t tempted to retaliate against the U.S. when we mistakenly injure and kill citizens in other countries.
Please be aware that the passage of JASTA does not mean that the battle is won. It is just beginning. There are many issues that will be resolved in the coming months and years. Aside from the task of proving the liability of the government of Saudi Arabia, there are legal issues concerning which of the different groups of victims will have claims that are recognized in court. It is unclear whether passengers on the planes, office workers in the Towers and first responders who were killed on 9/11 will be treated the same as first responders, local residents, students and office workers who were later diagnosed with 9/11 illnesses. For the survivors, the court may very well make distinctions based on location and the amount of time that someone spent near the WTC site. Nevertheless, we will file suit against Saudi Arabia and try to prove that it should be held accountable for the attacks.
28 years ago, Pam Am Flight 103 was tragically brought down by a terror bomb attack over Lockerbie, Scotland. Kreindler & Kreindler, one of the nation's preeminent aviation law firms, successfully sued Libya for the bombing and secured a $2.7 billion settlement on behalf of the 270 victims. They have had unparalleled experience bringing this type of terror case. The Kreindler firm was the first law firm to file the pending lawsuit against the 9/11 terrorists and those who supported the terrorists more than 14 years ago. They have been leading the fight to get JASTA passed in order to bring Saudi Arabia into the lawsuit. For the past 5 years, we have worked closely with our colleagues at the Kreindler firm to lobby Congress to extend the Zadroga Health & Compensation Act --which created the Victim Compensation Fund. We are proud to be representing thousands of First Responders, local residents and office workers with them.
We would like to continue representing you as we move forward with the case against Saudi Arabia. In order to represent you, we need you to sign a new retainer agreement. It will be mailed to you next week. Please sign it and return it to us. No law firm can represent you without your express written permission. It will be our pleasure to continue the fight.
Sincerely,
Michael Barasch and Noah Kushlefsky
Barasch McGarry Kreindler & Kreindler
Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have questions about your legal rights by visiting www.wtclawyers.com or by calling 1-800-562-9190.
