Chicago-based law firm to initiate lawsuit against Malaysian Airlines and Boeing

A Chicago-based law firm, Ribbeck Law had filed a petition for discovery against the Malaysian Airlines (MAS) and the manufacturer of its MH370 aircraft, Boeing Co, Reuters reported.

The US firm, representing the families of those onboard of the ill-fated aircraft filed the petition to secure evidence of possible design and manufacturing defects, which could have led to the flight ending at the southern Indian Ocean.

The firm in a press statement said the petition for discovery was filed in a Cook County, Illinois Circuit Court.

The filing initiates a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the airline and Boeing by the passengers’ families, the firm said.

“We believe that both defendants named are responsible for the disaster of Flight MH 370,” Monica Kelly, the lead Ribbeck lawyer in the case, was quoted.

Kelly said quoted saying that additional pleadings will be filed in the next few days against other potential defendants that designed or manufactured component parts of the aircraft that may have failed.

The petition, filed on behalf of Januari Siregar, whose son was one of the passengers of the flight, is among others, asking an order from the Court to provide the identity of manufacturers of various plane components, including electric components and wiring, batteries, emergency oxygen and fire alarm systems.

Other demands include asking the judge to order MAS to produce information on crew training for catastrophic incidents, security practices, safety training and crew evaluations.

It is also seeking the identity of the company or person who last inspected the fuselage and who provided maintenance, Reuters said.

The firm said it is also asking that US scientists be included in the search for wreckage and bodies.

Reuters reported that the law firm is also representing 115 passengers in the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash in San Francisco in July.

The MH370 which was carrying 239 passengers and crew went missing while on its way to Beijing on March 8.

After 17 days of search operation, on March 24, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Tazak told in a specially convened press conference that the flight had ended in southern Indian Ocean.

Najib said this was based on data gleaned from INMARSAT and latest techniques never used before to calculate geographical location, it is now confirmed that MH370 flew south and is now somewhere in the Southern Indian Ocean.