9/11 Lawsuits To Be Heard Next Week

The first of the lawsuits brought by victims' families from the attacks on September 11, 2001 that was scheduled to be heard in federal court next week has settled. The settlement includes 14 personal injury and wrongful death claims brought by family members of the passengers and ground victims of the attacks, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein wrote in his decision. Twelve personal injury and wrongful death suits remain.

The consolidated suits include those involving passengers from United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11 which crashed into the World Trade Center towers, American Airlines Flight 77 which crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Mr. Hellerstein ruled last week that relevant audiotapes from the cockpit voice recorder could be used as evidence in the then-scheduled trial, including when the hijackers are heard announcing that they have a bomb on board, and the final four minutes when the passengers are heard trying to break in to the cockpit and retake the plane.

The first damages trial, filed by the family of Paul Ambrose, is now scheduled to begin on November 5 in New York.