Am J Psychiatry 1976; 133:300-301
Copyright © 1976 by American Psychiatric Association
Disaster at Buffalo Creek. From chaos to responsibility
GM Stern
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.
