The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
LEADERS IN LAW
Lawyer who sued Iran over Gaza death to speak at tort museum
WINSTED — With the drive of a determined victim’s advocate, attorney Thomas Fortune Fay made it possible to sue countries that support terrorists who kill American citizens.
After the death of an American woman who was attacked in the Gaza Strip in 1995, her father contacted Fay for help. “I was asked, ‘Can you go to court to show it was murder?’ ” Fay said.
“We need a new statute,” Fay answered. “So we put it together, and from there on out” attorneys have brought such cases before United States District judges, he said.
How he and a team of lawyers successfully sued the Islamic Republic of Iran over the Gaza Strip attack is just one of the riveting stories Fay will share at the “Leaders in Law Presentation Series.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at the American Museum of Tort Law in Winsted.
The museum’s series “showcases the nation’s top legal minds ... (with) remarkable stories about hard-won victories gained through their extensive, challenging and impressive careers,” according to a release.
Information on the deadly Gaza Strip attack, which killed Alisa Michelle Flatow while she was riding a bus, was provided by an Israeli intelligence officer, Fay said.
“I got all of the records. I interviewed everyone on the bus who was still alive,” he said. “We were able to identify the Arab gunman.”
“We even got the transcript congratulating (the terrorist) for his success in killing” the bus passengers, Fay said.
The success of the trial “became the foundation for all the other cases,” he said.
Legal action in support of the U.S. Marines who were killed in 1983 in their barracks during a nighttime bombing in Beirut was also successful through the efforts of Fay and a number of other attorneys.
According to memorial information from Arlington Cemetery, the attack was the “largest single-day loss of life for Marines since the World War II
“I got all of the records. I interviewed everyone on the bus who was still alive. We were able to identify the Arab gunman.” Attorney Thomas Fortune Fay, who sued Iran over the death of an American woman killed in the Gaza Strip in 1995
Battle of Iwo Jima.” A total of 220 Marine Corps members died in the suicide bombing, according to the website.
To begin the legal proceedings for survivors to sue for loss of support, Fay said his team sent letters to relatives of the deceased Marines based on addresses the military provided.
“We thought we would get 30 or 40 responses,” he said.
Instead, 1,800 family members replied that their loved ones had been either killed or injured in the attack, Fay said. The ruling in the case resulted in a $2.1 billion settlement, he said.
“The marines got 75 percent of the total,” Fay said.
“These have been the best 24 years” of his career, Fay said, as the settlement funds continue to be paid out.
“The fact is, we are all targets of terrorism. We must do everything we can to stop this from happening,” Fay said. “The danger from terrorism” now, he added, “are attacks in the United States.”
Those interested in attending Fay’s talk on Nov. 8 should contact the museum at 860-379-0505.
The museum is at 654 Main St., Winsted. Find the museum at www.facebookcom/tortmuseum or tortmuseum.org.