[Peetwo]

From Maurice Blackburn's international aviation law expert Joseph Wheeler, on why MH370 NOK should be given more time to properly lodge compensation claims (via the Oz)..  

MH370 families should get more time to claim

• Joseph Wheeler
  
• The Australian
  
• March 11, 2016 12:00AM
  

How much is a life worth? This is a difficult question, especially in the aftermath of the loss of a loved one but the law demands that it be answered.

In a cruel twist for the families of the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in particular, that question must be answered now or they lose forever the chance to claim even that most unsatisfying though necessary of consolations: compensation.

The families of MH370 passengers that I am representing in the international legal claims have told me they feel like their lives stopped on March 8, 2014. However, the days have inexorably passed along with the economic void for necessities that only monetary compensation can fill.

Compensation in air disasters worldwide is controlled by a hodgepodge of international treaties that originated in 1929. At the heart of this system is a quid pro quo that many may say is nonsensical: the injured passenger or family of a deceased passenger doesn’t need to prove the airline negligently caused their loss, merely that an accident happened. In return the airline can limit its financial payouts in certain ways and you must bring your claim quickly — within two years rather than three years or longer for other kinds of legal claims. The reason for this diplomatic deal was to protect the fledgling aviation industry from financial demise, back when civil air transport was a much riskier enterprise.

This regime impresses as one that supports quick compensation payouts while avoiding independent and in-depth judicial focus on the accidental failings of the aviation industry.

The aggrieved family representative must make their claim within the strict two-year timeframe or lose those rights forever. That’s not enough time in all instances, as exemplified by MH370, and an unfair burden for relatives to shoulder.

The injustice is that families have to make legal decisions with limited information and with their backs against the wall.

It is hardly fair that the state of the law supports a situation where people suffering in the aftermath of such a disaster can be pushed into the claims process prematurely, before they even know what may have befallen their loved one (or seen proof of death). Similar injustices arise when one considers that the purpose of compensation is restorative rather than punitive. What about those who didn’t contribute financially to a household; for example, children or the elderly? The fact is the actuarial/legal calculations are very different and, some may say, obscene. We live in a world where the law that spells this out for air crash victims implicitly fosters such a difference.

So what are the solutions?

First, we should be revisiting the quid pro quo so an extension of time is available to those who need it, so they are not forced into making their private legal concerns the public problems of courts worldwide.

Second, there must be a shift in the thinking of the international community away from compensation for proven financial losses to an agreed legal recognition of the uniform value of life, no matter what nationality or age. Would it be a hard task diplomatically and legally? Yes. Impossible? No. Important? Absolutely.

Joseph Wheeler is an aviation law expert and Special Counsel to Maurice Blackburn Lawyers.

MTF..P2