Jeju Air Crash Families Sue Boeing in US Courts over Alleged Negligence
The families of those who died in the Jeju Air crash are taking Boeing to US courts to hold them accountable for their role in the disaster. The lawsuit, which initially included 14 victims' families but has since grown to 52, alleges that Boeing was negligent in its design and manufacturing processes.
According to the complaint filed by Herrmann Law Group, Boeing failed to fulfill its duty to design, manufacture, distribute, and sell a safe Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The families are seeking to determine whether Boeing's negligence contributed to the crash or made its consequences more severe.
The lawsuit highlights the importance of obtaining records held by Boeing through the US discovery process. Korean investigators have focused largely on the embankment supporting the localizer antenna at Muan International Airport, but the families want to establish what happened immediately after the bird strike, including how it affected the aircraft and its safety systems.
Charles Herrmann, an attorney representing the families, said that numerous bird strikes occur every year, but most do not lead to major disasters. He emphasized that investigators need to examine how the engines and electrical, hydraulic, thrust control, and backup systems responded after the strike.