Robert Peck of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America says that the single-digit guideline does not apply when plaintiffs have been bereaved or injured.

ECONOMIST: Punitive damages

In the wake of the attacks, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America made an unprecedented move: It sent e-mails to lawyers across the United States asking for restraint.

CNN: Trial lawyers urge restraint after N.Y. calamity

Although the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, a group of personal-injury lawyers, called for an indefinite moratorium on civil suits related to the attack, its members are unlikely to turn away potential clients for long.

ECONOMIST: The insurance bill