Expensive legal action starts

AP FILE PHOTO

As the search for the missing plane continued on Wednesday a US law firm said it had started “multimillion-dollar” legal proceedings against Malaysia Airlines and Boeing Co. in what could be the start of an expensive legal battle over the lost plane.

Chicago-based Ribbeck Law Chartered International said it filed a court petition in the US state of Illinois on Tuesday, seeking documents pertaining to possible design or mechanical defects or conduct by the airline that may have led to the disaster.

“We believe that both defendants are responsible for the disaster of Flight MH370,” the firm said in a statement released in Kuala Lumpur.

“It is extremely important for the victims we represent that all responsible parties are brought to justice without exceptions,” the statement said, quoting its head of aviation litigation Monica Kelly.

The “petition for discovery” filed on Tuesday seeks potential evidence from the opposing party in any lawsuit.

The law firm said families “have initiated a multimillion-dollar litigation process” but did not specify how much in damages may be sought in the future.

The legal action was filed on behalf of Januari Siregar, a “lawyer who lost his son in the terrible crash,” the firm said.

It gave no further details on the plaintiff.