Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings could face liabilities well above the typical ceiling in airline crashes for the passengers who died on Tuesday when one of its jets was flown into an Alpine mountain, some aviation lawyers said. A lot will depend on whether the airline can defend itself against negligence claims given that prosecutors said on Thursday that a young German co-pilot locked himself alone in the cockpit of the Airbus A320 and set it on course to crash, killing all 144 passengers and six crew members. An international agreement generally limits airline liability to around $157,400 for each passenger who dies in a crash if families do not sue, but if families want to pursue compensation for greater damages, they can file lawsuits. Lawyers who have represented families in past airline disasters told Reuters on Thursday that potential lawsuits could focus on whether Germanwings properly screened the co-pilot before and during his employment, and on whether the airline should … [Read more...] about Pilot’s actions may add to Germanwings’ liability in mountain crash: lawyers
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Social News 23/10
Cause of helicopter crash not identified The cause of the helicopter crash that killed three military officers on Tuesday has not been established, a colonel said. Colonel Nguy?n Hoàng T?n, political head of the Military Command of northern Bà R?a- Vung Tàu Province announced the information at a press briefing this morning. Even though some sources blamed the crash on bad weather and air turbulance, this information was “unreliable because an investigation is still in progress,” he said. A helicopter with three people on board -- one pilot teacher and two pilot trainees -- crashed in the region of the Dinh mountain range while on a routine flying exercise on Tuesday. The province’s Military Command mobilised forces and some 400 people to search for the helicopter. It was found a day later in Yên Ng?a Pass on Bao Quan Mountain, which is part of the Dinh range in Tân Thành District. VN writers impress French contest Vuong B?ch … [Read more...] about Social News 23/10
Social News Headlines 22/6
Children's helpline receives 1.5m calls A State-run helpline known as Marvellous Key that provides 24-hour advice on child-related issues has received more than 1.5 million of calls from children and adults over the past 10 years, 69 per cent of which came from children. They included 3,000 calls from children who were abandoned, trafficked, abused or psychologically harmed. The findings were released yesterday under a report compiled by the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs' Department of Child Care and Protection at a meeting held in Ha Noi to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the helpline. … [Read more...] about Social News Headlines 22/6
Vietnam fund firms moving with the times
The Hanoi-based Enterprise Management Information System Company (Emiscom) plans to establish an investment fund in Vietnam. Vietnam Investment Review's Hanh Nguyen talks to Emiscom's founder, Dr Vuong Quan Hoang, a senior researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles' Emile Bernheim Centre, about the initiative and how Vietnamese capital markets have fared. We know you are preparing to establish an investment fund in Vietnam, but you have been very tight-lipped about it. What can you tell us?The president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, recently raised interest rates from 2.25 per cent to 2.5 per cent, reflecting the governors of EU central banks' concerns about continuing inflation on the mainland. Apparently the focus is controlling the threat of inflation. This makes prospective investors in Europe think twice; should they stay with an established, saturated market or move to distant, emerging markets? I believe many investors would like to move … [Read more...] about Vietnam fund firms moving with the times
Insight: Laws leave cruise-ship victims at sea
When Walter Henry Alderfer learned last month about the Costa Concordia shipwreck off Italy, it brought back bad memories. In April 2007, he, his wife and his daughter were aboard the Sea Diamond cruise ship when it struck a reef off Greece and sank into the Aegean Sea. Screaming passengers fought over life preservers, Alderfer says, and his wife hurt her neck and later needed surgery. Five years later, the family is still seeking redress - and its experience may be instructive for survivors of the Concordia disaster. They turned down an offer of compensation by the owner - Cyprus-based Louis Cruises, a unit of Louis PLC - that included a free voyage. They filed a federal lawsuit in New York but settled for $2,500 - less than his wife's medical expenses and the family's lost belongings, he says - because the tickets required them to sue in Greece. An additional suit in Greece is still dragging on. An attorney for Louis Cruises said many passengers were satisfied with the … [Read more...] about Insight: Laws leave cruise-ship victims at sea