The McLerrans' case was governed by the Warsaw Convention, an international treaty that limits their rights to compensation. The family could recover only compensatory damages. How their compensation was calculated is something only the attorneys and the McLerrans know for sure. The settlement contract makes sure that no one can discuss it. It is known that American makes a detailed inquiry into each survivor's and victim's circumstances, financially and otherwise, in drawing up a settlement package.
Some survivors report they have answered the questionnaire fully.
Others scoff and toss it, saying it is invasive and insulting. The attorneys in about 40 pending lawsuits are mixed in their reactions to the company's requests. As for the McLerrans, American didn't have to dig much. The attorney representing the family, Mike Slack of Austin, Texas, had prepared an exhibit list to show exactly what the couple's life was like, who their friends were and what contributions they had made to the Russellville community. His witness list included the couple's pastor.