THREE families of the Helios Airways air disaster have filed a lawsuit in the United States against Helios, Boeing and Libra Holidays, seeking millions of pounds in compensation.
Lawyers from American firms were in Nicosia yesterday, where they outlined their plans.
The firms, Owen, Patterson & Owen, Girardi & Keese and Servicios Legales de Mesoamerica specialise in representing air disaster victims.
According to a press release issued by the firms, the families of victims, in co-operation with their Cypriot lawyers, will resort to action available to them in US courts against those held directly responsible for the tragic air disaster on August 14.
The action is also demanding important improvements in the sectors of safety and flights of Boeing planes and carriers such as Helios.
The lawyers present the main objective of the collaboration as being to obtain the best possible distribution of justice through the US courts where the subjects sued will be called upon to offer full compensations as well as forcing essential improvements with regards to the safety of passengers around the world.
The three law firms, who have represented a number of victims and their families over the past 25 years, present themselves as world-wide leaders in their filed, holding the longest consistent experience regarding international cases.
The firms have sent letters to Boeing and to the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Greece stating, “please be advised that all of the parts of the Helios airliner as well as all of the notes, files, documents, memoranda, reports and messages regarding the inspection of the wreckage are critical pieces of evidence in this case. We are placing you on notice that it is your duty to safeguard the said evidence and make certain that it is not repaired or altered in any manner and/or that it is not destroyed or discarded. Such an act would constitute spoliation of evidence which could subject you to further liability.”
However, the lawsuit has drawn the wrath of the Cyprus Bar Association, who are unhappy with the public statements made by the Americans and have asked for the immediate intervention of the Attorney-General and the police.
Bar Association President Nicos Papaefstathiou, said: “I believe this action is illegal and unacceptable. Through a press conference, the American lawyers are trying to give advice to Cypriots.”
Attorney-general Petros Clerides told state radio that he “hasn’t looked into the matter closely enough to comment”, but urged the relatives of the victims “to be patient and to look carefully at all the options before beginning legal proceedings.”
But Gregory J Owen, senior partner with Owen, Patterson & Owen, yesterday told the Cyprus Mail, “if I sat down to talk with the Bar Association, I would explain to them that not only is what we are doing legal, it’s also the right thing to do.”
Owen added that, “the last thing on the families’ minds is money. All they want is justice and to ensure that no other families ever have to go through what they have.”
He explained that a verdict will hopefully be reached in a year’s time, while “other defendants will no doubt be added to the lawsuit in the coming month.”
