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Spencer Platt / Getty Images
See images from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
A U.S. judge ruled that AMR Corp's American Airlines and United Continental Holdings Inc must face trial over claims relating to the September 11 attacks that destroyed the landmark towers of the World Trade Center in New York almost 11 years ago, court documents showed.
In July 2001, two months before the attacks, World Trade Center Properties LLC (WTCP) bought 99-year leases to four World Trade Center buildings from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Inc for $2.805 billion.
In its lawsuit against United Airlines and American Airlines, WTCP said that had it not been for the airlines' negligence, "the terrorists could not have boarded and hijacked the aircraft and flown them into the twin towers," on September 11, 2001, according a New York court filing.
NBC News anchors and correspondents recall their personal memories of reporting live the morning of September 11, 2001 as the terrorist attacks on America unfolded and as some of the memorable stories emerged in the days and weeks that followed.
The company claimed damages of $8.4 billion from the airlines, the estimated cost of replacing the towers.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein limited the value of WTCP's destroyed property to $2.805 billion, the price WTCP paid for the leases.
The defendants denied they were negligent, and said the case should not go to trial because WTCP has recovered $4.091 billion from insurance companies.
Farooq Naeem / AFP - Getty Images
U.S. forces found and killed the al-Qaida leader in the affluent Pakistani town of Abbottabad, where he had been living in a large compound.
Judge Hellerstein said at this stage he could not reasonably determine the defendants' claim that insurance payments received by WTCP covered the damages the company is seeking from them.
"On this record, before trial, I am not able to make such findings," Judge Hellerstein said in a court filing.
The case is in re September 11 litigation, Case No. 21-MC-101, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York.
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Oh yeah, real mature. Let us also blame the airlines training these terrorists, and giving them free first class tickets. Give me a break. If this lawsuit is allowed, then AMR and UA should be able to sue the owners of the WTC for sticking their large buildings in the middle of the sky. Isn't the WTC site owned by that greedy old man anyway? Wouldn't surprise me.
Well, here we are after years of post 9-11. All of a sudden, after years of Government Regulation, and Airlines I'm sure have complied with every single one, are being a target, of this wierd Lawsuit. I just can't belive a Judge, all of a sudden just thinked this thing out of the Blue!, My Feeling's are this judge somehow was targeted to impliment, this ridiculus lawsuit. "Or Else". If this is not true, then my feelings are wrong! Everyone before this time, watched the news, eat popcorn, and just felt that there own world was just looly golly!!! Until something happened. Everyone needs to understand that every entity in this world needs money to survive. It seems like someone somewhere needs some money, and this is just a reaction to something that has happened LONG ago, to fill someone's pocket's. Back to the point!!!
Its just not a world that we can be invited to sit in the Captains's seat to awe the world in front of us. I'm Ex Military and a Disabled Vet! Things are changing!
But no!!!! Nobody is responsible for this!!! Nobody was prepared for this and this includes everyone!!!
Please post.
Although I don't know all the details involved, I would vote not to sue the airlines.
This is why:
My dad works as one of the body scanners, etc, with TSA. On the news you keep on hearing about how many different groups complain about how TSA is too strict in how they search and need to relax. You keep on hearing about how various passengers don't like fully body scans. My dad tells me how people complain because they can't bring certain items on board because "They insist it's their right to bring it with them". And now we want to sue either the airlines or TSA for negligence because something got by?
Am I missing something here? You want TSA to "relax" and "don't restrict what we can bring through", but at the same time "Let's sue for negligence"? Is that a double standard?
I just want to thank all who have contributed to this post, and it does not matter if I aggree to them or not. this
9-11 has been so blamed with conspiracy etc etc etc, that nobody will ever know what really happened at top end!
Its time that we let this be, and try to not let this happen again. But nothing is foolproof!
thanks for your comment Nick! its nice to see that there are a few people out there who have some compasion! and Smarts. I can't comment on particular things like you can I have memory problems abit but sometime's but thank you for such a nice post! Its time American's start acting like American's. thanks for the post NickNew you rock!
Rerere!!!! Thanks for posting! And I agree with everything you said
The comment's of viewers need to to on top! not the Bottom! This seem's to be totally ridiculus!
I do not see to go on comment's to bottome?
Clinton administration warned the incoming President about possible terrorists and using aircraft as potential weapons there were all kinds of intelligence concenring this and President Bush and Cheney decided to ignore this "because they knew better" the rest is history
More wasted money! No way are the airlines responsible. But, let's waste money on a lawsuit. Good thinking! They were reimbursed by their insurance - end of story!
Stop with all the stupid lawsuits, America! We are financially destroying our own country, one lawsuit at a time!
I do not believe that the airline employees could have prevented this terrible tragedy from happening. It also sounds as though the insurance more than covered what the owners actually paid for the Twin Towers. No amount of money is going to ever undo the terrible atrocities that occurred on September 11. Suing the airlines is only going to cost the American Public more jobs. Lets get over the greed and heal our nation.
Just goes to show you , The poor and minority's arent the only ones to make bad choices in life. You can be rich and make bad choices too. Suck it up.
American Airlines deserves to be sued they were neglegent and they did allow those terrorists on board that hijacked the planes and crashed them into the towers, why cant they hire armed security people to be on every flight I wouldnt mind paying extra for that just to be able to feel safer, if they would of had armed security on 911 maybe things would of turned out differntly.
armed gaurds on every plane why not on ever train as well every bus on every corner .. we should have armed gaurds evry where i go in case of terrorist attack.
why dont U just hire a body gaurd and leave my protection to the second ammendment.
go live in china or n korea i hear its like tht there
the real oods on becomming a victim of terrorist attack i'd hit the lottery 3 times b4 tht could happen.
what u should be worrying about is all tht salt u r taking in now tht will kill u
The fact that the female FBI agent of the FBI office in Minneaplois Mn got transfered from her job because she asked questions about some flight school pilot training attended by some unidentified country's people is a mystery . The fact that NORAD was on stand down that particular day is a mystery. The fact that one of the airport control tower operators distroyed all the audio tapes for all of the aircraft flying in the air that day is a mystery. The fact that both of the twin tower buildings along with another building fell straight down freefall like they were a controlled demolation is a mystery. The fact that all of these are real events and carved into stone and ignored by the media isnt a mystery. We will never really know what happened as the only person that could tell us was killed by the US Government and no surprise as dead people tell no tales that could prove to be damaging.
Wow, a whole new level of ambulance chasing!