Steve Rothman: “on July 17th, 1997, 230 people died when TWA Flight 800 exploded 9 miles off the coast of Long Island. To this day the…”

“on July 17th, 1997, 230 people died when TWA Flight 800 exploded 9 miles off the coast of Long Island. To this day the crash continues to be a national tragedy. For almost 2 years, the families of those who perished have had to deal with more than the unbearable pain of losing a loved one in such a sudden, violent and public manner. To this day they have to live with not having many answers for their loss, as they continue to wait for an explanation about why the disaster occurred. As if this disaster alone is not enough, the tragedy is made all the worse by an outdated law that prevents survivors from suing in state court, in front of a jury, for damages like pain and suffering and loss of companionship that are traditionally available under the tort law system. Had the plance crashed seconds earlier--when the plane was only two miles off of New York's coast--this would not be an issue. However, at nine miles out, the 1920 ``Death on the High Seas Act'' governs.”