Latest news with #PeterNeenan
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Air India rejects claims Ahmedabad crash survivors' kin coerced into signing documents
Air India on Friday denied allegations that it coerced families of victims from the AI-171 crash into signing documents about their financial dependency on the deceased in an attempt to reduce compensation payouts. Wreckage of the Air India flight at the crash site in Ahmedabad. (Bloomberg) The airline called the claims 'unsubstantiated and inaccurate', saying it takes 'such accusations incredibly seriously' because the 'support and welfare of the families impacted by this tragic incident is our number one priority'. The controversy emerged following a report in The Guardian in which aviation lawyer Peter Neenan, who represents families of the crash victims, accused the airline of 'ethically outrageous' behaviour towards bereaved relatives. Neenan, a partner at UK law firm Stewarts that has represented families in major airline disasters including MH17 and MH370, claimed the airline's treatment of grief-stricken families could save it at least £100m by under-compensating families. The report quoted Neenan as alleging that relatives arriving to identify their loved ones' remains in the days after the June 12 crash were put in a 'small, crowded room' in intense heat with other bereaved families and told to fill out documentation and a complicated questionnaire asking for important financial information. The families were not given any warning, legal advice or a copy of the documents, Neenan said. Some families have told him that Air India officials followed up with visits to their homes and asked why they had not yet completed the forms. One relative, whose mother was killed in the crash, told The Guardian: 'The conditions where they asked us to complete the questionnaire were unacceptable, in a crowded hot corridor with unsuitable chairs and desks. There was no privacy whatsoever.' The family member added: 'Air India should have done this in a more professional and compassionate manner and asked all families to seek legal advice before proceeding. However, it was implied that if we did not complete the questionnaire and submit documents then no compensation would be paid.' Imtiaz Ali, brother of deceased passenger Javed Ali Syed, told HT he filled the form online and sent it to Air India officials via email. 'I fail to understand why the income and occupation details were required. I have filled the form but there would be many others who would face difficulty in finding such details. Also, we haven't so far received the interim compensation from Air India,' he said, adding that his brother's luggage and belongings have yet to be handed over to him. Air India clarified that the request for financial information was part of a standard process to ensure that interim compensation reached the rightful beneficiaries promptly. 'Efforts are being made by the airlines to process the payment of the interim compensation (also referred to as advance compensation) as soon as possible, to meet the immediate financial needs of affected family members, with the first payments having been made within days of the accident. However, Air India cannot process these payments in an information vacuum,' the airline stated. The carrier said it sought basic information to establish family relationships to ensure advance payments are received by those entitled to them. In an internal message to employees, Air India chief executive and managing director Campbell Wilson said the carrier has paid compensation to families of nearly two-thirds of the victims. 'Our teams have been helping families receive interim compensation. Every affected family is being directly assisted by an Air India representative, with nearly two-thirds having already received payment or are in the final stages,' Wilson told airline employees. Air India parent company Tata Sons announced it will provide ₹1 crore each to the families of each person who died in the crash. On June 14, Air India announced it will provide interim compensation of ₹25 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and survivors to help address immediate financial needs. The Air India Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed moments after takeoff on June 12, killing 260 people onboard and on the ground. The crash, one of the worst air disasters in India in decades, involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Air India flight AI-171. Of the 242 people onboard, 241 were killed, while the total death toll stood at 260, including casualties on the ground.
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- The Guardian
Air India's behaviour towards bereaved families ‘outrageous', says lawyer
The lawyer representing families whose loved ones died in the Air India flight 171 crash has said he is 'angered and appalled' by the airline's 'ethically outrageous' behaviour towards bereaved relatives. Air India said the claims, which they take 'incredibly seriously', are 'unsubstantiated and inaccurate'. Peter Neenan, an aviation lawyer and partner at UK law firm Stewarts, has represented families in a number of large airline disasters around the world, including the high-profile MH17 and MH370 crashes. He claimed the airline's treatment of grief-stricken families could save it at least £100m by under-compensating families. 'This is the real horror of what they're potentially looking to do,' he said, calling for an investigation into the airline's behaviour. Neenan said that relatives arriving to identify their loved ones' remains in the days after the crash on 12 June were put in a 'small, crowded room' in the intense heat with other bereaved families, and told to fill out documentation and a complicated questionnaire asking for important financial information. The families were not given any warning, legal advice or a copy of the documents, he said. Some families have told him that Air India officials went round to their homes and asked why they had not yet completed the forms. Neenan claimed families were falsely told they would not receive any payments unless they completed the forms, even though airlines are required under international law to make immediate advance payments to families entitled to compensation. Families are not required to do anything more than provide proof of identity and sign a receipt. One relative, whose mother was killed in the crash, said: 'The conditions where they asked us to complete the questionnaire were unacceptable, in a crowded hot corridor with unsuitable chairs and desks. There was no privacy whatsoever. 'They asked us for information about dependency but there was no specifics about what they meant by that, whether financial or otherwise. I felt pressure at the time under extremely distressing circumstances following such a catastrophic loss. 'Air India should have done this in a more professional and compassionate manner and asked all families to seek legal advice before proceeding. However, it was implied that if we did not complete the questionnaire and submit documents then no compensation would be paid.' Air India has said they take 'such accusations incredibly seriously' because the 'support and welfare of the families impacted by this tragic incident is our number one priority'. A spokesperson said the airline 'sought to make the questionnaire as simple as possible to ensure compensation goes to the right person as swiftly and smoothly as possible'. 'We are doing everything we possibly can to ensure that compensation is provided as quickly and smoothly as possible to families at what is an impossibly difficult time for them,' they added. 'Understandably, there are some formal processes that must be followed but we are giving families all the time and flexibility they need and we want to support however we can.' The spokesperson said Air India had been making 'considerable efforts to process payment of interim compensation as soon as possible, in order to meet the immediate financial needs of affected family members, with the first payments having been made within days of the accident'. To date, Air India has released interim compensation to 47 families, they said, with a further 55 payments shortly to be released. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'In order to facilitate payments, Air India has sought basic information to establish family relationships to ensure that the advance payments are received by those entitled to them. Family members have been issued with a questionnaire to allow Air India to gather the information required to process compensation payments. 'Air India has certainly not made any unsolicited visits to families' homes.' In addition, the spokesperson said: 'Air India provided dedicated support staff to every family. These liaison officers were able to support on any number of things from accommodation, transport, funeral arrangements or any logistics.' But Neenan said: 'The repeated story that we have heard from our clients is that families have been told by Air India that they have to complete a questionnaire to get the advance payment, forcing them to fill out this questionnaire in appalling conditions: small, crowded rooms, in intense heat with no guidance on the terms and questions within the questionnaire. 'Our clients have shown us the questionnaire. It demands legally significant information using terms which have a legal definition which is not being told to families. 'The forms say that Air India will use the information given to calculate compensation. They ask for apparently straightforward information but using terms that are actually very legally charged and contain a lot of nuance that you need legal training before being able to understand. 'There is no question that the information being asked for could be used against families by Air India in the future,' he said. 'There are two scenarios that will come out of families filling out these forms: either families get lawyers like me involved afterwards, and then we have to argue in court that the relative filled out the form without understanding the terms, and hope the judge agrees with us. 'Or, which is even worse, the airline calculates compensation using information on the form, the family don't get legal representation, and accept what I guarantee will be a significantly lower level of compensation – and that could be millions of pounds less than they are entitled to.' 'We are advising our clients not to complete this form and to seek specialist legal advice,' he added. 'We are shocked and appalled that Air India is seeking this information from families when they are at their most vulnerable. They should feel ashamed.'
India.com
04-07-2025
- Business
- India.com
Air India Denies Allegations Of Forcing AI 171 Crash Victims' Families To Disclose Financial Dependency
New Delhi: Air India has denied allegations from British law firm Stewarts Law that it forced families of the AI 171 crash victims to disclose financial dependency on the deceased to get compensation. Over 40 families represented by Stewarts Law have accused the airline of coercion and intimidation as they pursue claims related to the crash of the London-bound Boeing plane crash at Ahmedabad in which over 241 passengers and crew were killed. "Air India categorically rejects these allegations and refutes them as both unsubstantiated and inaccurate," the Tata Group airline said in a statement. The airline clarified that a questionnaire circulated among certain passengers was intended solely to verify familial relationships, ensuring the rightful distribution of interim payments. 'Understandably, there are some formal processes that must be followed, but we are giving families all the time and flexibility they need. We want to support however we can,' Air India said in a statement. "In order to facilitate payments, Air India has sought basic information to establish family relationships to ensure that the advance payments are received by those entitled to them. Family members have been issued with a questionnaire to allow Air India to gather the information required to process compensation payments. This can be submitted in person at our Facilitation Centre at the Taj Skyline hotel in Ahmedabad, or by e-mail, and families have been given time and flexibility to complete these. Air India has certainly not made any unsolicited visits to families' homes," Air India said. Air India executives said that an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh has been paid to 47 families, while interim compensation for another 55 families is in process and will be disbursed soon. UK-based law firm Stewarts, which is representing over 40 bereaved families, has alleged that Air India has been 'coercing' families into submitting legally significant financial disclosures before receiving advance compensation. "This tactic has deeply distressed families already dealing with an immense loss," the firm said. The allegations come weeks after the June 12 disaster, in which 241 people on board and many on the ground died when the plane crashed into a medical college hostel seconds after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport. Peter Neenan, an aviation lawyer and partner at UK law firm Stewarts, has represented families in a number of large airline disasters around the world, including the high-profile MH17 and MH370 crashes. He claimed the airline's treatment of grief-stricken families could save it at least £100m by under-compensating families. 'This is the real horror of what they're potentially looking to do,' he said, calling for an investigation into the airline's behaviour. Neenan said the families were not given any warning, legal advice, or a copy of the documents. Some families have told him that Air India officials went round to their homes and asked why they had not yet completed the forms, he added. Neenan claimed families were falsely told they would not receive any payments unless they completed the forms, even though airlines are required under international law to make immediate advance payments to families entitled to compensation. Families are not required to do anything more than provide proof of identity and sign a receipt.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Air India denies claims of mistreating disaster victims' families
A British lawyer representing families of victims from the Air India Flight 171 crash has accused the airline of unethical and potentially unlawful conduct regarding compensation forms. The lawyer, Peter Neenan, alleges that bereaved relatives were pressured to complete complex documentation in unsuitable conditions without legal assistance, potentially reducing their compensation. Air India has vehemently denied these accusations, labelling them as unsubstantiated and inaccurate, and stated they are working swiftly to provide interim compensation. The airline clarified its process for compensation, including establishing a facilitation centre and offering remote completion options, while denying claims of coercion or unsolicited home visits. Legal teams in the United Kingdom and the United States are reportedly preparing to launch lawsuits against both Boeing and Air India following the fatal crash.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Air India accused of mistreating families of victims after Ahmedabad crash
A lawyer for some of the families of Air India crash victims has accused the airline of engaging in unethical and potentially unlawful conduct. The airline, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group, has rejected the accusations as 'unsubstantiated and inaccurate'. The statement came after lawyer Peter Neenan, partner at British firm Stewarts, said his team was advising families of the passengers who perished in last month's crash in western India not to fill out the compensation forms issued by the airline, citing legal risks and inappropriate handling of bereaved relatives. Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad city on 12 June, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew members on board in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The crash also killed 19 people on the ground, taking the total death toll to 260. Mr Neenan, who has previously represented victims of air disasters such as Malaysia Airlines MH17 and MH370, said in a statement to The Independent his clients were told to complete the documentation in sweltering conditions without legal assistance or even clear explanations of the terminology used. 'The repeated story we have heard from our clients is that families have been told by Air India that they have to complete a questionnaire to get the advance payment, forcing them to fill out the questionnaire in intense heat with no guidance on the terms and questions within the questionnaire,' he said. 'We are shocked and appalled that Air India is seeking this information from families when they are at their most vulnerable. They should feel ashamed.' While Mr Neenan's law firm claims to 'have been retained by multiple families', the number remains unclear. It further claims to be 'speaking with families of over 30 passengers' who died in the crash. Air India has reportedly made interim compensation payments to 47 families thus far, with disbursement to 55 more in progress. It has offered each affected family Rs 2.5m (£21,500) in immediate relief in addition to Rs 10m (£86,000) announced by parent company Tata, the airline told The Independent. Mr Neenan said his clients, based in India and the UK, were told to submit forms with details such as financial dependency using language with legal implications that most bereaved relatives weren't equipped to interpret, particularly in a state of emotional distress. One family member was allegedly pressured to submit documents in a cramped corridor. 'The conditions where they asked us to complete the questionnaire were unacceptable, in a crowded hot corridor with unsuitable chairs and desks. There was no privacy whatsoever,' the relative told the Guardian. Mr Neenan alleged that some families were even visited at home by airline officials to question why the forms had not been completed yet. He warned that such tactics could reduce compensation amounts by millions of pounds, with families unaware of what they could be forfeiting. 'Either families get lawyers like me involved afterwards and then we have to argue in court that the relative filled out the form without understanding the terms, and hope the judge agrees with us,' the lawyer said. 'Or, which is even worse, the airline calculates compensation using information on the form, the family don't get legal representation and accept what I guarantee will be a significantly lower level of compensation – and that could be millions of pounds less than they are entitled to.' Air India said in a statement it was working swiftly to provide interim compensation to the affected families while pushing back against claims of coercion and mismanagement in the aftermath of the disaster. The airline said 'considerable efforts' had been made to ensure that advance payments – intended to meet immediate financial needs – were disbursed quickly and fairly. The first payouts, it said, were processed within days of the 12 June crash. The airline emphasised, however, that it could not operate 'in an information vacuum'. In order to release funds, it was required to collect basic details to verify family relationships. This involved issuing a questionnaire asking the affected relatives to indicate whether they were financially dependent on the deceased, a move the airline described as a 'fair and necessary' part of the process. To streamline this process, Air India established a facilitation centre at the Taj Skyline hotel in Ahmedabad from 15 June where the questionnaire could be accessed. Families were also offered the option to receive the form via email, allowing them to complete it at their convenience. Airline staff stationed at the centre were available to explain the form and respond to any queries, the airline said. 'There is no requirement for family members to complete the questionnaire at the centre,' it added. 'Several families have chosen to fill it out independently and submit it over email.' Copies of the completed forms were provided to families upon request. In an apparent reference to the allegation that family members had been asked to fill out the questionnaire in cramped, hot conditions, Air India clarified that any documentation completed at hospitals or morgues was unrelated to compensation and could have been required for government purposes. The airline also denied reports of its officials making unsolicited visits to the homes of victims for compensation-related follow-up. Air India reiterated its commitment to transparency, responsibility and compassion during the crisis. 'As part of the Tata Group, we uphold core values of integrity and responsibility and remain committed to serving the community, especially during challenging times,' it said. The airline urged the public and the media to be 'cautious of misinformation and misinterpretation of facts to help everyone involved do their job responsibly'. Meanwhile, legal teams in the UK and the US were preparing to launch lawsuits against both Boeing and Air India, NDTV reported. James Healy-Pratt and Owen Hanna of Keystone Law in the UK along with the Wisner Law Firm in the US were investigating the crash and speaking with families of victims, the Economic Times reported. Mr Healy-Pratt told the Indian media outlet their international legal team was reviewing all evidence and considering litigation against Boeing in the US and Air India in the UK High Court.
