§ 2333. Civil remedies

(a)Action and Jurisdiction.— Any national of the United States injured in his or her person, property, or business by reason of an act of international terrorism, or his or her estate, survivors, or heirs, may sue therefor in any appropriate district court of the United States and shall recover threefold the damages he or she sustains and the cost of the suit, including attorney’s fees.

(b)Estoppel Under United States Law.— A final judgment or decree rendered in favor of the United States in any criminal proceeding under section 1116, 1201, 1203, or 2332 of this title or section 46314, 46502, 46505, or 46506 of title 49 shall estop the defendant from denying the essential allegations of the criminal offense in any subsequent civil proceeding under this section.

(c)Estoppel Under Foreign Law.— A final judgment or decree rendered in favor of any foreign state in any criminal proceeding shall, to the extent that such judgment or decree may be accorded full faith and credit under the law of the United States, estop the defendant from denying the essential allegations of the criminal offense in any subsequent civil proceeding under this section.

(Added Pub. L. 102–572, title X, § 1003(a)(4), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4522; amended Pub. L. 103–429, § 2(1), Oct. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 4377.)

Amendments

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–429 substituted “section 46314, 46502, 46505, or 46506 of title 49” for “section 902(i), (k), (l), (n), or (r) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1472(i), (k), (l), (n), or (r))”.

Effective Date

Effective Date

Section applicable to any pending case or any cause of action arising on or after 4 years before Oct. 29, 1992, see section 1003(c) of Pub. L. 102–572, set out as a note under section 2331 of this title.

Miscellaneous

Special Rule Relating to Certain Acts of International Terrorism

Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XII, § 1251(c), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2017, provided that: “Notwithstanding section 2335 of title 18, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), a civil action under section 2333 of such title resulting from an act of international terrorism that occurred on or after September 11, 2001, and before the date that is 4 years before the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 2, 2013], may be maintained if the civil action is commenced during the 6-year period beginning on such date of enactment.”