Germanwings crash 2015: Brunswick court to decide on compensation in October
30 claimants are demanding compensation of up to €110,000 each from the German state. The judgment or an order for further evidence is expected on 6 October.
Lawsuit in Brunswick: relatives of Germanwings victims demand state compensation
Eleven years after the Germanwings flight crashed in the Alps, damages proceedings began at the Regional Court of Brunswick, as reported by Google News AT — Crime (de) citing DIE ZEIT. 30 claimants are demanding compensation payments of up to €110,000 per person from the Federal Republic of Germany. They accuse the responsible authorities of failing to recognise the co-pilot's severe mental illness.
The judges announced a decision for 6 October, a court spokesperson said following the opening of proceedings. This could either be a final judgment or an order for further evidence to be heard. The Federal Aviation Office, based in Brunswick, is representing the defendant Federal Republic in the proceedings.
Even before the first hearing, the judges dampened the claimants' expectations. The court expressed doubts as to whether the state was even responsible for the claims being made, since the claimants could have also pursued their claims against the airline. Germanwings ceased operations several years ago; the former parent company Lufthansa would be affected.
Relatives from the United States have already failed in lawsuits against Germanwings and Lufthansa in the state of Virginia; a Lufthansa flight school in Arizona was also sued for damages.
According to the investigation, the co-pilot was severely depressed and wanted to take his own life. He locked himself in the cockpit and did not respond to calls. The investigation findings have been doubted on multiple occasions.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)