Claimant lawyers have advised relatives of victims of last week’s Air India crash not to rush into any decisions around compensation.
A total of 241 passengers and crew members on flight AI171 died when the London-bound aircraft crashed into a residential area shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad.
Air India owner Tata Sons has already said it will pay around £85,000 to each of the immediate families. This is strict liability compensation under the Montreal Convention, to which both the UK and India are signatories. The airline may then be liable for further payments unless it can prove it was not negligent or that the damage was solely due to a third party.
Air India has further pledged a £21,000 interim payment for the families of the deceased and for the sole survivor to help with immediate financial needs.
Demetrius Danas, national head of international serious injury with national firm Irwin Mitchell, said relatives 'shouldn’t feel pressured into accepting early settlements without understanding their full legal rights'.
‘While it’s far too early to be discussing possible causes for the crash it’s vital that the most thorough investigations take place to establish the full facts as to how Air India Flight AI171 crashed,’ said Danas, whose department previously advised relatives following the 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302.
‘It’s vital that the families of those affected are provided with the answers and specialist support they deserve.'
Last month, it was reported that aviation giant Boeing would enter into a non-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice in relation to the Ethiopia crash and another involving the 737 Max airliner.
In an updated statement released this week, Air India said every family affected by the Ahmedabad disaster had been assigned at least one caregiver.
‘We have established contact with the next of kin/relatives of all passengers and crew members expressing our condolences, helping them with the next steps,’ added the company. ‘Over 400 family members have reached Ahmedabad and are being assisted by our teams on the ground. Air India remains fully cooperative with the ongoing investigation led by the authorities.’
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