Here come the Lawyers-Air France YYZ

[bandaid]

What is the difference between a lawyer and a sucker?


One is a scum sucking bottom feeder the other is a fish.

No surprise to me that their are lawyers involved already, like everyone else, they can smell the money to be made. Should be interesting.

[flaps40]

Air France is not going to comment nor appoligize for anything at this point. To do so would admit fault in the eyes of the courts. As much as passengers deserve an explanation and or appology it is not going to happen. Some Lawyer will take that and run to the bank with something like that. As for the Exits not functioning could it be that maybe the airframe was so twisted that you couldn't open them with a truck or maybe there was fire outside the door and good training prevented flight attendents from opening them. Passengers only see a closed door, they hardly are thinking of a reason for that at that time. Hah must be broken. I can sue. There will be a bunch of new expensive cars cruisin Toronto in about a year from now. Watch for it.

[LostinRotation]

When you get in a cab you understand that there are certain risks associated with the road...when you buy a ticket for an airliner you understand that there are also risks associated..... unless there was some proof that came forward stating the maint. dept for Air France dropped the ball on something or some other circumstance the lawsuit shouldn't have even been allowed. I hate the fact that we are becoming more " americanized ".... if Air France wins I hope all the maint staff and executives from Air France get together and sue the shit outta these scumbags. "This lawsuit caused them to be traumatized by the possibility of costing them their jobs and livelyhood " Now these people can't work because everytime they see a passenger board one of thier aircraft they have a panic attack because they fear being sued ! Every dirtbag that launched a suit and faked some sort of bullshit is forced to pay Air France $750,000,000,000 each ( this figure makes no sense and was suggested by a laywer)


-=0=LIR=0=-

[Finn47]

Settlement reached in class action suit with 184 out of 297 passengers:

A Toronto judge has approved a $12-million class-action settlement with 184 of the passengers on a 2005 flight that overshot the runway at Pearson International Airport during a torrential rainstorm.

Air France has agreed to pay $10-million, plus interest, into a settlement fund. Airbus SAS and Goodrich Corp. - manufacturers of the aircraft and its emergency evacuation system and slides, respectively - will pay $1.65-million. Some of the litigants will receive as much as $175,000 each.

The settlements are "fair, reasonable and in the best interests of" the passengers seeking redress, Judge Joan Lax wrote in her decision, released Wednesday.

In August, 2005, Air France Flight 358 crashed into a ravine before being engulfed in flames. About 60 people were forced to jump from the plane because of non-functioning evacuation slides. No one was killed, although 33 people were taken to hospital with injuries. A 2007 Transport Safety Board report found the plane came in too high and too fast. Air France crew "did not calculate the landing distance required for the conditions at destination," board chairwoman Wendy Tadros said at the time.

Vancouver lawyer J.J. Camp, whose firm is representing the 184 members of the class action, said he's pleased with the settlement and hopes to start disbursing funds to litigants as soon as possible.

Mr. Camp said the lucrative payout has precedent, most recently in a 2005 case against Air Transat after a flight to Lisbon ran out of fuel. That suit resulted in a $7-million settlement.

In the Air France case, a separate $2-million settlement in principle with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority is awaiting judicial approval, which Mr. Camp said he's confident will be forthcoming. Litigation with Nav Canada is ongoing.

No one from Air France was available for comment yesterday. Spokesmen for the Greater Toronto Airport Authority and Nav Canada wouldn't comment because the litigation and settlement discussions are ongoing.

The settlement is a bittersweet victory for Charles McMahon, one of the 297 passengers originally on board the flight, and one of the 184 people involved in the class-action suit.

Of course he's pleased that at least this part of the ongoing suit was settled, he said. But every reference to this flight - or any similar aviation incident, such as the Buffalo, N.Y., crash earlier this year - brings back horrifying flashbacks of his lucky escape 4½ years ago.

Mr. McMahon, a high-school math teacher, sustained only minor physical injuries as a result of the fiery crash. But he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since the incident.

"I remember lots of the flames and the heat that was coming form the side of the plane and just the actual physical movement of the plane going over past the runway. ... It's nothing I've ever felt before in my life. People say it's similar to a roller coaster, but ... there's no joy when you go over something like a cliff at 150 miles per hour. You're kind of shaking and bobbing, you have no idea what's happening.

"It's by far the scariest thing that's happened in my life."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat ... le1416465/

[Randleman]

This makes me really mad. I don't hate lawyers, I hate the people who sue others for all their worth for even the slightest inconvenience. I really hope that this lady does not get the money. Accidents happen.

[robbreid]

Click Here 12 million dollar settlement reached for passengers.

Click Here for ASN report on Air France 358 crash.
Crash occurred August 2/2005.

[Hot Fuel]

To all the lawyers are scum, I hate people that sue crowd…Had anyone of you been on the flight and got a call asking if you wanted your name included on a class action suit, I’d bet my pension that everyone one of you would be signing on as fast as you can say “If I can’t hit a homer, I’ll settle for a triple”

[Doc]

To all the lawyers are scum, I hate people that sue crowd…Had anyone of you been on the flight and got a call asking if you wanted your name included on a class action suit, I’d bet my pension that everyone one of you would be signing on as fast as you can say “If I can’t hit a homer, I’ll settle for a triple”

You have a pension? I agree with you. Money for nothing, and your chicks for free.....
It's a no brainer!

[mike123]

I don't hate lawyers

Neither do I. They just want to earn a buck. I hate the judges.

[StudentPilot]

Does anyone know why NavCan is being sued? Is it because they failed to safely land the plane? Or perhaps they didn't advise the crew they were high on approach?

[Hot Fuel]

Doc said

You have a pension?

Don't all aviation folks have pensions? Imagine that, I have a respectable pension plan and got it without a college or association affiliation, union representation or a university/college degree...Go figure.

[Doc]

Doc said

You have a pension?

Don't all aviation folks have pensions? Imagine that, I have a respectable pension plan and got it without a college or association affiliation, union representation or a university/college degree...Go figure.

See what one can accomplish without a "college"....pay attention here, kids!
Cheers

[bandaid]

Doc said

You have a pension?

Don't all aviation folks have pensions? Imagine that, I have a respectable pension plan and got it without a college or association affiliation, union representation or a university/college degree...Go figure.

See what one can accomplish without a "college"....pay attention here, kids!
Cheers

Or Government work.
What ever you do put money away for your old age.

[Jerricho]

Does anyone know why NavCan is being sued? Is it because they failed to safely land the plane? Or perhaps they didn't advise the crew they were high on approach?

It's quite normal in Aviation incidents where litigation "damages" are being sought. Name as many parties as possible who may be involved on the premise that if they're found to be even 0.0001% responsible, it's payday..........

[Widow]

The law firm has a page all about the class action, http://www.cfmlawyers.ca/air_france/index.html, which includes Settlement Agreements and a link to the December 24th Judgement of Justice Lax. If you click on the "Class Action" link near the bottom of the page, you'll find links to the Statement of Claim and NavCanada Defense.

[CBSW]

Disclaimer: In no way shape or form am I implying there was negligence involved on Air France ..whatever flight #


This should be a lesson to all you pilots planning on flying overweight, pushing weather or not even.. Don't give these lawyers any ammunition against you.. The victims of any crash/ incident will try to come after you... and use whatever means necessary to do so.

Cover your ass...cover your ass.. cover your ass...

After saving someone's life etc.. I don't think you want to end up paying for someone's meal ticket for an eternity because you gave the lawyers a means to attack you.. whatever this may be..

[twistedoldwrench]

I fully support CYA comments by CBSW: for what its worth, even if you do nothing wrong, and aircraft you are flying as a pilot or have worked on as an AME is involved in an accident where someone is hurt or killed, the lawyers will try to find something to hang you with, however insignificant you may think your part (if any) may have played in the accident.
The whole legal liability thing is THE reason TC is putting all the SMS system in place- they got tired of being sued for allowing idots to braking the rules, killing people- so now guess who will be getting sued now- everyone. And you think the system is non punitive- wait until a court orders your SMS files to be turned over.

[CBSW]

TOW,


I thought I was starting to sound like some paranoid nut.. I said it anyways..

And I fully agree with you are saying as well.. Thanks for completing what I was trying to get at..

You do have to admit.. it is truly a sad state of affairs....

The irony...the same pax that will bitch whine and complain about you not making destination due to mechanical/ wx (see comments made by WJ PAX this week)and even push you to make destination in those circumstances will turn the other cheek and sue your ass if you cave into the pressure and something ends up going wrong..(even though they pushed you in the first place)

" The Horror" * insert creepy voice* LOL

Almost forgot..there is a silver lining in the clouds!!!... You won't be making enough to afford a pesky lawyer .. so you won't have to deal with one!!.. And you'll already be used to eating KD so being able to barely afford it after they garnish that 15k per year salary won't be so bad.. Now.. THATS WHAT I CALL LIVIN THE DREAM!!! WAHOOO!!

[rightseatwonder]

.....As far as I'm concerned you are taking a risk every day whether you get in a car or a plane. You accept the risks, so deal with the fact that sometimes shit happens.

I'm gonna guess that you've never jumped out of a burning 340 in a gully. I don't know about you, but i didn't pay for that... my ticket/fare/contract was to be safely transported from point A to point B... I never agreed to be run off into a ditch and lit on fire. I NEVER agreed to that being an acceptable risk. And if you're a pilot (or a taxi driver) and consider it as such, please post your name and place of work.

You crash a perfectly good airplane with my family on it you bet your ass you're getting sued.

At best.


And any lawyer haters out there.... when you have something unfortunate happen to you, and you know it wasn't your fault... but YOU are in court...... go ahead and represent yourself. See how that goes. 3 days in jail and you'll cry in your lawyer's arms when he/she gets you out.

The shit that is continuously spouted on this site is embarrassing.