Families Sue Dana Airlines over Plane Crash

65 of the families both Nigerians and foreigners have instituted legal action against Dana airlines, the owners of the airlines that crashed at the Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos state killing all the passengers on board on June 3, 2012.

This is even 11 of the 125 families of the victims have received the full compensation of $100, 000 as mandated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Meanwhile, eight families were yet to show up for claims.

Tony Usidamen, group communication manager, Dana Air, told steps journalists that steps are taken by the airline to pay to compensate affected families.

It is recalled that 153 passengers and crew members perished in the accident, while no fewer 10 persons also died on the ground with colossal damages to properties.

According to Usidamen, as of Friday May 24, 2013, 95 families of 125 had received the initial payment of $30, 000, adding that 21 of the families just submitted documents from the Probate Registry for full compensation.

He said that when the 21 families receive the final payment of $100,000, it would bring to 32 the total number of families fully compensated.

On the delay of payment of full compensation to the families involved, he said that it was due primarily to late submission of documents, multiple entries from families and internal wrangling among the families.

While assuring that the airline was working round the clock to ensure that all those who had submitted documents were fully paid, Usidamen declared that nine families were affected out of which seven families had been given partial settlement while other two refused to collect the initial payment.

He emphasised that Pastor Daniel Omowunmi whose properties were destroyed and he’s laying claim to the sum of N500m had also received initial payment of $30, 000, stressing that the airline with its insurance companies were still negotiating with the pastor.

“The process of compensation is handled by our insurance companies and as a responsible airline organisation, we need to get update from our insurance companies. Negotiations are ongoing with the victims. The claims are completed and sent to our insurance companies who will appoint a valuer to evaluate the properties on ground before the accident.

“Unlike in the case of the victims onboard, which is spelt out by ICAO, on ground victims have no clear cut compensation. But all the victims will be compensated to the extent of their losses. The allegation that we’ve abandoned the ground families is not true, negotiations are going on, but agreement has not been reached,” Usidamen stated.