Accusations Against Air India Over Crash Compensation Handling

A lawyer has raised serious allegations against Air India, claiming that the airline has acted unethically and perhaps unlawfully in their treatment of families affected by the recent crash in western India. This criticism comes amidst a devastating tragedy where Air India flight 171 crashed shortly after take-off on June 12, resulting in the deaths of 241 individuals on board, and an additional 19 fatalities on the ground.

Peter Neenan, a partner at Stewarts law firm, communicated that they are counseling families of the deceased not to engage with the compensation forms provided by Air India due to potential legal complications and the mishandling of grieving relatives' situations. He described the challenging conditions under which families were pressured to complete documentation, facing extreme heat and a lack of legal support to guide them through complicated terminology.

Neenan's firm claims to be advising multiple families, although the precise number of families involved remains unclear. Air India reportedly has provided interim compensation to 47 families, anticipating additional disbursements for others. The lawyer expressed concern that requiring sensitive information on financial dependencies, especially without adequate legal guidance, puts families at a disadvantage during an already distressing time.

In response, Air India has defended its procedures, stating efforts have been made to expedite compensation while asserting the need for certain information to verify family ties. They established a center at a hotel in Ahmedabad to facilitate the compensation process and offered alternative means to complete the necessary documentation. The airline also dismissed claims of coercion and emphasized their commitment to ethical conduct, while legal actions against both Air India and Boeing are being readied by legal teams in the US and UK over the incident.