Passengers on an Air Canada flight 624, which crash-landed at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on March 29, have initiated a class action lawsuit.
Halifax law firm Wagners filed the papers with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on Tuesday. At least one other law firm has indicated they plan to file a similar suit.
Photo: RCMP The lawsuit lists Air Canada and six other defendants including Airbus, the European manufacturer of the crashed plane, the Halifax International Airport Authority, the attorney general of Canada and Nav Canada, the company that provides navigation services at Canadian airports. John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 — the pilots on the ill-fated crash — are also named as defendants. The class action lawsuit lists three plaintiffs: Kathleen Carroll-Byrne, Asher Hodara and Georges Liboy. All three were passengers on the plane. Wagners has enlisted the help of the Vancouver-based law firm Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman, which specializes in these type of legal actions.
‘Serious psychological injuries’
AC624 crash landed on the early hours of March 29. The plane was travelling from Toronto to Halifax carrying 133 passengers and five crew members. It attempted to land at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport in poor weather conditions.
The plane landed 300 metres short of the airport’s main runway. It smashed through an antenna array, bounced on the ground and slid another 335 metres down the runway before coming to a halt.
Everyone got off the plane safely, but they had to stand in the cold before ground crews arrived at the crash site. In the lawsuit, Wagners claims Carroll-Byrne sustained “serious psychological injuries” in the crash. “She suffered from and continues to suffer from anxiety, loss of concentration and profound psychological distress, including fear of flying,” the suit says.
Class action not yet certified
The class action lawsuit alleges Hodara, the second plaintiff, “sustained serious physical injuries as a result of the crash, including a mild traumatic brain injury and dental damage.” “He also sustained psychological injuries as a result of the crash, including anxiety, loss of concentration and profound psychological distress.” Liboy, meanwhile, “sustained serious physical injuries as a result of the crash, including pain to his neck, knee and mouth,” said the lawsuit. The suit further claims Liboy suffers anxiety and profound psychological distress. None of the allegations have been proven in court. No defence has been filed. Under Nova Scotia law, the action must first be certified as a class action before it can proceed. The lawsuit is seeking compensation and damages but no amounts are specified. Originally posted by Blair Rhodes on cbc.ca. Class Action Lawsuit – Ball & Evans & Ball & Evans Trial Attorney – Los Angeles
