AI-171 victim families hire firm that sued Boeing for 737 lapses
The firm, led by aviation attorney D. Michael Andrews, is exploring product liability claims against Boeing in US federal courts and Montreal Convention claims against Air India in UK courts, though no lawsuits have been filed yet.
'Our firm presently represents families of 65 victims. We are determined to follow the data to uncover how and why this tragedy occurred,' Andrews said. 'The families deserve answers and are pleading for transparency.'
The Boeing 737 MAX cases that established Beasley Allen's reputation involved two crashes that killed 346 people between 2018 and 2019 - Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in Ethiopia. Boeing ultimately paid $2.5 billion under a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement, including a $243.6 million criminal penalty, $1.77 billion to airlines, and $500 million for crash victim families.
Boeing has since settled more than 90% of the claims and paid billions more in individual compensation to families, with the company acknowledging liability for the crashes caused by the faulty Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), US Department of Justice records showed.
The causes for the crash of flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, from Ahmedabad on June 12, is not yet clear. The plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 241 people aboard and 19 on the ground. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor. The victims included 181 Indian nationals and 52 UK citizens.
Andrews disputed findings in the interim report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), which suggests potential pilot action. The law firm executive argued that a Flight Data Recorder only detects changes in electrical current, not manual switch movements. This, he said, raises the possibility that a computer-triggered fault, rather than human error, that caused both engine fuel control switches to send a CUTOFF signal.
He urged Indian authorities to release all data, including cockpit voice recorder transcripts, to enable global experts to assess the cause comprehensively, warning that selective information could lead to misinterpretation.
'I suspect a technical or design fault is being concealed, with blame shifted to the pilots,' said Trupti Soni, who lost her brother and two sisters-in-law in the crash and hired the firm to seek accountability.
The preliminary report also paraphrased conversation from the cockpit voice recorder capturing one pilot questioning the other on why the fuel was cut-off, with the other denying responsibility. The report did not identify which of the pilots said what.
Andrews highlighted recent Boeing 787 incidents to suggest systemic problems: a United Airlines flight from Dulles to Munich declared a Mayday and returned due to engine failure, whilst a LATAM flight experienced Ram Air Turbine deployment, typically triggered by significant power or hydraulic failure.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India leads the inquiry with participation from the US National Transportation Safety Board, the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch and Boeing representatives.
Imtiaz Ali, whose brother Javed, wife and two children—all British nationals—died in the crash, said he plans to initiate legal action within two months, hoping for court judgements within two years.
Under the legal agreement, families pay no fees unless financial recovery is secured. If clients terminate representation, Beasley Allen retains a lien of either 30% of the most recent settlement offer or an amount equal to accrued time and expenses, whichever is greater. The firm may withdraw if it deems the case cannot proceed, and no specific outcomes are guaranteed.
The Tata Group, which owns Air India, offered ex gratia compensation of ₹1 crore for families of deceased passengers and ₹25 lakh for ground victims. The company established the AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust with ₹500 crore, funded equally by Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, to support affected families' long-term needs, particularly children who lost parents, by providing scholarships for education, medical coverage and financial assistance to ensure stability for dependents.
Boeing and Air India representatives did not respond to enquiries.
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