The UK-based families of the victims who died in the Air India AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 are considering legal action against the airline and aircraft manufacturer Boeing in UK courts over enhanced compensation, according to some media reports.
All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and 34 others who were on the ground, were killed when the London-bound aircraft crashed into a medical college campus within seconds of take off.
Among the deceased, 181 were Indian nationals, while 52 were from the UK.
Media reports quoted sources saying that the families of the victims were consulting with UK-based law firm Keystone Law to file potential lawsuits against Air India and Boeing. The lawsuits are likely to be regarding seeking enhanced compensation.
The Tata Group, which owns Air India, had previously announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore. It later announced an additional compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families to help meet immediate financial needs.
Keystone Law has acknowledged that it was in discussions with multiple families who lost loved ones in one of the worst aviation disasters in India.
Media reports quoted sources saying that a series of meetings have been lined up this week between the law firm and UK-based relatives of the victims to chart out the strategy.
“We are reviewing the recent actions taken by the lead aviation insurer for Air India, TataAIG, in relation to early offers of financial settlement and the obligations of Air India under international law to provide advanced payments to all next of kin,” media reports quoted Keystone Law.
Under the Montreal Convention, families of crash victims are allowed to pursue claims in jurisdictions where the airline has operations or if the victims have ties to those countries.
A final decision on legal proceedings is likely to be taken after the conclusion of this week’s meetings.
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