Three lawsuits by Asiana crash victims target Boeing

[alp227]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

In a new twist in the crash of Asiana Flight 214, three Bay Area families allege in lawsuits filed Thursday that airplane manufacturer Boeing should have known to retrofit the plane following a similar crash in 2009 and played a critical role in the inadequate training of the airline's pilots in South Korea.

"You cannot simply write this off as pilots who came in too low and too slow," said Burlingame attorney Frank Pitre, who filed three separate lawsuits against Asiana and Boeing in U.S. District Court in San Francisco late Thursday. "There's more to it. You cannot excuse Boeing."

Pitre expects to file a similar, fourth lawsuit Friday on behalf of another Bay Area family that also suffered injuries when the Boeing 777 crashed July 6 as it tried to land at San Francisco International Airport, killing three teenage Chinese girls and injuring dozens of others.

The four suits -- on behalf of 12 Bay Area passengers -- are the first to allege a direct link between Boeing and the training of Asiana's pilots. Since 2006, according to the lawsuits, Boeing has trained Asiana pilots at a South Korean campus near Gimpo International Airport that specializes in teaching pilots how to operate the Boeing 777, although the suit does not make clear if Boeing trained the pilots of the doomed flight.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23825729/three-lawsuits-by-asiana-crash-victims-target-boeing

[PatrynXX]

1. frivilous lawsuits

unfortunate.

[davidpdx]

2. It looks like they are suing both

Asiana should definitely be sued as it appears the pilot was not being given proper supervision when he landed given that it was his first time landing at SFO in that particular type of aircraft (he had landed other planes at SFO).

From what I read somewhere, the planes are delivered without seats and the airline decides the configuration of the seats depending on how many first class, business class, and economy class seats. If that is the case, then the argument against Boeing has no merit.

There very well could be other safety issues that Boeing can be found liable for though. If I had to guess, Boeing is going to end up making a small settlement and leave Asiana as the main defendant.

That being said, I've flown Asiana and still would buy a ticket and fly with them again as they have a good track record.

[msongs]

3. how many other boeing jets have crashed at SFO in the past year..... nt

[trof]

4. I'll take a wild guess...None?

[icymist]

5. This part is interesting:

<snip>
One of the passengers who filed suit Thursday, Shuzhi Han, 72, was sitting in coach with her daughter and granddaughter.

Han suffered "serious spinal injuries" in the crash that Pitre believes are related to the absence of a shoulder belt.

It's unclear whether Boeing delivered the aircraft to Asiana with shoulder and lap belts in first and business class -- or whether Asiana upgraded the seat belts later, Pitre said. Either way, he said, "The difference in safety is directly related to the price of a ticket. As a consumer, this is most offensive. My safety and the safety of my family is compromised by my ability to buy a first-class ticket."
<un-snip>

Kind of reminds me of the Titanic and their different class levels.

[Mz Pip]

6. Boeing design

Probably saved scores of lives.

I don't know about shoulder straps. I've flown first class and never have seen any. Maybe it's something new.

[pnwmom]

7. Deep pockets. n/t