Liability, awards and settlements

2.10, Phuket crash, claims for compensation

Thailand: US lawyers have filed the first of several lawsuits against aircraft maker Boeing seeking compensation for victims of the recent Thai plane crash. More than 100 survivors and victims’ relatives gave authority to two US lawyers to represent them to claim damages from Chicago-based Boeing, which took over plane maker McDonnell Douglas Corporation in 1997. The flight data recorders were due to arrive back in Thailand, following analysis in the US to help determine the cause of the crash. The lawsuit demands that the court order the defendant to immediately release to the families all relevant evidence on the design and manufacturing records of the accident aircraft including maintenance records. According to one of the lawyers, the lawsuits must be filed shortly after the accident to preserve evidence.