The 9/11 lawsuits
A small but growing group of people who lost loved ones in the terror attacks are giving up federal compensation to sue airlines, airport security firms and the FAA.

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By Kenneth Rapoza

June 6, 2002 | BOSTON -- Waiving federal payments of as much as $1.85 million, 10 people who lost their loved ones in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have sued several U.S. airlines and airport security firms, charging that they are responsible for their relatives' deaths. More lawsuits, including ones against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), are expected in the wake of recent revelations that U.S. officials had received warnings about imminent terrorist attacks, and failed to properly investigate two alleged terrorists.

"We have over 30 clients right now who will probably go the way of a lawsuit," said Mary Schiavo, aviation attorney at Baum, Hedlund, Aristei, Guilford & Schiavo in California, and former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation, who is handling nine of the 10 individual cases. "Thanks to these incredible disclosures by the White House and whistleblowers, it just keeps getting easier. These hijackings were foreseeable, unlike what we were initially told."

http://salon.com/news/feature/2002/06/06/suits/index_np.html