Litigation Also Continues In The US Courts Against Boeing

A Pre-Inquest Review hearing into the deaths of three Britons killed in the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash has taken place this afternoon.

The inquests are in relation to  the deaths of Joanna Toole, aged 36, who was from Exmouth and was an International Consultant to the UN; Samuel Pegram, aged 25, from Preston, who worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council; and Oliver Vick, aged 45, who was Deputy Chief of the UNSOM Joint Operations Crisis Management Centre in Mogadishu, Somalia. 

A total of 157 passengers and crew were killed when flight ET302 crashed on 10 March, 2019, six minutes after it took off from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi in Kenya. The crash occurred after another 737 Max operated by Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea in October 2018 killing all 189 passengers and crew.

The Pre-Inquest review, conducted by the Senior Coroner for West Sussex, Penelope Schofield, included consideration of the scope and timing of the Inquests. No final decisions were made today and a further Pre-Inquest Review has been listed for the 13 January, 2021. 

The relatives and loved ones of all of those killed are represented in the Inquest proceedings by Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Aviation Law team. The team also represents these families and others in court proceedings against Boeing in Chicago, USA, working with US lawyers.

Clive Garner represented the families at today’s hearing and is one of the Irwin Mitchell team representing the families.

Expert Opinion

“All of our clients remain devastated by the loss of their loved ones in the most terrible of circumstances. They continue to have significant concerns about how the events leading up to this tragedy unfolded. They have a shared determination to understand why it was that the Boeing 737 Max was permitted to fly despite the aircraft’s significant safety issues and especially after the Lion Air disaster.

“Our clients are keen to support and assist the Coroner with her investigations. At the same time, we are continuing to discover more through the ongoing investigations within the Court proceedings in the US against Boeing and the proceedings of the House Committee of Transportation. This includes Boeing’s disclosure of tens of thousands of documents within the litigation process so far.

“We will continue to support the families through the inquest proceedings, while also progressing their civil claims in the US courts."

Clive Garner - Consultant

Speaking of the developments in the US, Clive Garner added: “It is of no comfort to anyone who tragically lost a loved one, but from what has been established so far this is likely to be a pivotal case for aviation safety and regulation, and greater scrutiny of the relationship between regulators and the airlines themselves. It is vital that lessons are learned from the mistakes of the past.” 

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