A New York State Supreme Court Justice has denied a defense motion to set aside the jury verdict finding the Port Authority primarily responsible for the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. (AP, Mar. 2) Now to a whole new jury trial on damages for the up-to-400 remaining plaintiffs, unless the Port Authority appeals.
Aside from the bizarre assignment of responsibility (68% to the Port Authority, just 32% to the terrorists), the case also demonstrated yet another exemplary feature of our tort system: a speedy resolution of claims. The attack was fourteen years ago — and damages haven’t even been calculated yet (let alone the appellate process begun).
Originally covered by Overlawyered: Oct. 27, 2005.
One Comment
What I would like to know is how does the jury come up with the percentage of responsibility? Is there some magic formula that the judge gives to the jury to do the calculation? And even if they were given guidelines, how in the world did they come up with 68%. Do they do it as in the commercial for a credit bureau, “I am thinking of a number between 60 and 75”. Actually I know how them come up with the number. They pull it out of their … er … thin air.