Malaysia Airlines ‘insults’ MH370 families

The family of two Australian MH370 passengers has hit out at Malaysia Airlines in their compensation case against the company.

The family of two Australian passengers aboard the missing Flight MH370 has hit out at ­Malaysia Airlines, saying it has been demanding “ridiculous and incredibly insulting questions”, including where the plane crashed, in their compensation case.

Friends Bob and Cathy Lawton and Rodney and Mary Burrows were among 239 people on board the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing that disappeared more than two years ago.

The couples’ adult children have lodged a claim in the Federal Court of Australia accusing the airline of not doing enough to prevent the Boeing 777 from flying off course and vanishing.

They are seeking more than $200,000 in compensation.

The children of the Burrows family hit out after the airline’s solicitors this week issued a 10-page letter with 53 questions ­requesting “further and better particulars” for their claim.

“Despite our best efforts to supply all of the requested information, the airline is distressing us further by asking ridiculous and incredibly insulting questions. We understand the court process allows them to ask for further particulars, but some of their questions are incredible, ­including asking us where the crash occurred and what caused the crash,” the Burrows family told The Australian.

“In our opinion, if it wasn’t for them losing their aircraft in the first place our parents would still be alive. Our parents were the victims, we fail to understand why Malaysia Airlines continue to request such information, only adding to the pain and ­confusion we have suffered …

“Although continually ass­ured by Malaysia Airlines that any claim would be straight­forward and handled quickly, this, like many statements made to us by the airline, has proven to be untrue.”

Families of the 239 passengers aboard the missing Boeing 777 had until March 8 — the two-year anniversary of MH370’s disappearance — to bring ­compensation claims against the airline.

The disappearance of MH370 falls under the Montreal Convention, which governs many air disaster claims and imposes strict liability on air carriers for injury and death caused by accidents.

Air carriers cannot defend claims assessed to be less than $190,000, but can fight higher claims if they can prove they were not the cause of the accident or that the accident was caused solely by some other party.

However, the disappearance of MH370 has made it impossible for the airline or authorities to determine the cause of the aircraft’s demise.

“Through our lawyers, we provided them with all the information they have requested, however, this was not enough,” the Burrows family said. “There was no attempt by Malaysia Airlines to settle this matter before the two year deadline for legal proceedings under the Montreal Convention, therefore, we have lodged a claim in the Australian courts. Making a claim in the court has only deepened our grief, and adds more stress.”