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.

傑拉爾德.M.斯特恩（Gerald.M.stern）美國華盛頓特區Rogovin，Stern & Huge律師事務所創始閤夥人，之前他在Arnold & Porter律師事務所擔任閤夥人共計11年，在此期間，他受托擔任水牛灣慘案幸存者的首席代理律師。在加入Arnold & Porter律師事務所之前，他在美國司法部民權部擔任齣庭律師沒在南方幾個州齣庭代理關於黑人選舉權歧視案件。他就這段經曆寫瞭兩本書：《南方正義》（Southern Justice）以及《逍遙法外》（Outside The Law）。他還齣版瞭《斯科捨礦難的寡婦們》（The Scotia Widows）一書，這書講述瞭他為斯科捨礦難中失去丈夫的婦女擔任代理律師的故事。他曾任西方石油公司（Occidental Peteoleum Corporation）的總法律顧問，美國司法部特彆法律顧問。如今他在華盛頓特區居住，從事法律谘詢業。

譯者：許身健，山東青島人，博士。中國政法大學教授、法學院副院長、原法律職業倫理教研室兼實踐教學教研室主任、中國法律文書學研究會秘書長、中國診所法律教育專業委員會副主任。研究及教學領域為法律職業倫理、訴訟法學、實踐性法學教育、司法製度及法律文書學。