The litigation initiated by the 625 survivors of the Buffalo Creek flood
who refused to settle with the coal company claims office was a landmark
case. For the first time, individuals who were not present at the scene of
a disaster were allowed to recover for mental injuries. Psychic impairment,
the term coined for these injuries, was found in virtually all of the
survivor-plaintiffs. In an out of court settlement, the survivors were
awarded $13.5 million, $6 million of which was distributed on the basis of
a point system as compensation for the psychological damages.Abstract Teaser