Boeing trying to shift Lion Air lawsuits to Indonesian courts
Under pressure plane maker Boeing Co plans to request all Lion Air crash lawsuits filed in the US be shifted to an Indonesia courtroom.
A federal judge told Boeing lawyers it has 45 days to make the request and Boeing reckons it has precedent on its side.
It is an obvious move by the plane maker as it looks to limit its financial liability.
The Indonesian legal system has far fewer protections, with no jury trials or punitive damages awarded.
Boeing wants the jurisdiction shifted from its Chicago backyard as the airline crash took place in Indonesia and the vast majority of the plaintiffs are Indonesian.
"The disputes relating to the Lion Air Flight JT 610 accident should be heard and resolved by the courts of the nation with the greatest interest in the matter," Boeing said in a earlier court filing.
Boeing is just trying to evade its full responsibilities, said attorney Brian Kabateck.
"This is not like other airline crashes. I’ve never had a case in which everything related to the aircraft happened here. So why shouldn’t Boeing be held accountable where they designed and sold the plane?’ he said.
"Our justice system is based on the free flow of information — depositions, pre-trial discovery and due process on both sides. All these issues either don’t exist in Indonesia or are murky."
Requests to move venues are often granted but some victims’ lawyers said their argument for a US trial is compelling as a US government entity – the Federal Aviation Administration, is potentially partly to blame by allowing Boeing to effectively self-certify its own product.
Further whistle blower evident has since come to light which will likely further bolster plaintiffs’ argument to have the case heard in a US courtroom.
A decision on jurisdiction will also affect the slew of US lawsuits filed on behalf of Ethiopian Airlines passengers killed in a second crash in March this year.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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