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 of the survivors banded together to sue. This is the story of their triumph over incredible odds and corporate irresponsibility, as told by Gerald M. Stern, who as a young lawyer and took on the case and won.

杰拉尔德.M.斯特恩（Gerald.M.stern）美国华盛顿特区Rogovin，Stern & Huge律师事务所创始合伙人，之前他在Arnold & Porter律师事务所担任合伙人共计11年，在此期间，他受托担任水牛湾惨案幸存者的首席代理律师。在加入Arnold & Porter律师事务所之前，他在美国司法部民权部担任出庭律师没在南方几个州出庭代理关于黑人选举权歧视案件。他就这段经历写了两本书：《南方正义》（Southern Justice）以及《逍遥法外》（Outside The Law）。他还出版了《斯科舍矿难的寡妇们》（The Scotia Widows）一书，这书讲述了他为斯科舍矿难中失去丈夫的妇女担任代理律师的故事。他曾任西方石油公司（Occidental Peteoleum Corporation）的总法律顾问，美国司法部特别法律顾问。如今他在华盛顿特区居住，从事法律咨询业。

译者：许身健，山东青岛人，博士。中国政法大学教授、法学院副院长、原法律职业伦理教研室兼实践教学教研室主任、中国法律文书学研究会秘书长、中国诊所法律教育专业委员会副主任。研究及教学领域为法律职业伦理、诉讼法学、实践性法学教育、司法制度及法律文书学。