A Federal appeals court ordered a new trial last week in the case of Nancy Chu, a victim of the 1999 crash of American Airlines Flight 1420. The jetliner, with 145 people on board, crashed while landing during a thunderstorm at the Little Rock National Airport in Arkansas. Eleven people were killed, including the pilot, and dozens more were injured.

Chu was awarded $5.7 million last April for emotional and physical injuries she suffered after the accident. The appeals court, however, ruled that a judge's error warranted a new trial. According to the panel, the judge improperly instructed jurors about attorneys' fees.