Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Lion Air Crash Families Say They Were Pressured to Sign No-Suit Deal
Source: New York Times
Lion Air Crash Families Say They Were Pressured to Sign No-Suit Deal
By Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono
March 21, 2019
JAKARTA, Indonesia — The families were still mourning relatives lost in the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia when they were crammed into a hotel conference room a few weeks after the crash. Sign this form, they were told by employees of the low-cost carrier, and they would receive 1.3 billion rupiah, or $91,600.
For those who lost breadwinners in the crash on Oct. 29, the money, government-mandated compensation for loss of life in an aviation accident, was welcomed.
But that amount, while not insignificant for desperate families with bills to pay and children to school, was roughly the minimum they were entitled to receive under Indonesian law.
And the conditions imposed by Lion Air before it would disburse the payments were complicated and shocking, with some legal experts questioning their legality.
-snip-
Yet an Indonesian aviation act from 2011 specifies that when heirs receive the government-mandated payment, they do not give up their right to pursue legal action against a carrier or other entities that may have been involved in an air accident.
-snip-
By Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono
March 21, 2019
JAKARTA, Indonesia — The families were still mourning relatives lost in the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia when they were crammed into a hotel conference room a few weeks after the crash. Sign this form, they were told by employees of the low-cost carrier, and they would receive 1.3 billion rupiah, or $91,600.
For those who lost breadwinners in the crash on Oct. 29, the money, government-mandated compensation for loss of life in an aviation accident, was welcomed.
But that amount, while not insignificant for desperate families with bills to pay and children to school, was roughly the minimum they were entitled to receive under Indonesian law.
And the conditions imposed by Lion Air before it would disburse the payments were complicated and shocking, with some legal experts questioning their legality.
-snip-
Yet an Indonesian aviation act from 2011 specifies that when heirs receive the government-mandated payment, they do not give up their right to pursue legal action against a carrier or other entities that may have been involved in an air accident.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/world/asia/lion-air-crash-families-lawsuits.html