Germanwings crash lawyers criticise ‘unfair’ compensation offer

Lawyers representing families bereaved by the Germanwings air crash have described an offer of compensation made by Lufthansa as "divisive and unfair".

London-based litigation firm Stewarts Law is assisting relatives of passengers who died when the flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps in March.

James Healy-Pratt, a member of the Stewarts Law international team, said a formal offer of final compensation made to families yesterday valued lives at less than €100,000 in many cases.

Mr Healy-Pratt, who is working in conjunction with law firms in the US, Spain and Germany, condemned the offer as being "woefully short of any meaning" for the bereaved families.

He said: “Instead, it creates real and substantial differences in compensation between families based on nationality and domicile.

“This is simply divisive and unfair. All families are expected to reject this offer.”

Mr Healy-Pratt said the offer highlighted the unfair treatment of victims of aviation disasters and could lead to legal action being taken in US courts.

Crash investigations

Investigations into the crash have found evidence suggesting co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane after locking the pilot out of the cockpit.

Mr Healy-Pratt, the head of the Stewarts Law aviation department, said: "It is now expected that the families will seek fair and equal treatment outside Germany, potentially in the US courts, given Andreas Lubitz's training and supervision at a flight school in Arizona. "

PA