More Families from Indonesian Victims in Sriwijaya Air Disaster Sues Boeing

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The number of Indonesian families suing Boeing for the loss of their loved ones on a Sriwijaya Air flight from Jakarta to Pontianak, West Kalimantan have increased from three to 17, after 14 families decided to take the American aircraft manufacturer to court.

The families launched the lawsuit, nearly a month after the low-cost carrier’s Flight SJ182 went down in waters near the Thousand Islands off Jakarta on Saturday, January 9, as it was flying from the capital to Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

“We have filed the petition for the suit on behalf of the families of the victims of Sriwijaya Air [Flight SJ182] to a district court in Chicago, which is Boeing’s head offices,” said attorney Keizerina Devi Azwar of the Jakarta-based Lex Justitia law firm in a statement dated Saturday, February 6.

Also read: Families of Indonesian Victims in Sriwijaya Air Disaster Sues Boeing

“My clients filed this lawsuit to get proper compensation from Sriwijaya Air as the carrier and Boeing as the manufacturer of the plane. We are aware that no amount of compensation can replace the loss of a loved one, but at least they can hold Boeing liable.”

“The plaintiffs designated Lex Justitia to represent them, along with the Chicago-based Nolan Law Group, because of the latter’s experience representing clients who lost loved ones in aviation disasters, including those in Indonesia,” asserted Devi.

“These include Garuda flight number GA 152 that went down over Medan, North Sumatra, as well as Silk Air Flight 185 that crashed off Palembang, South Sumatra in 1997. Other cases included Lion Air 386in 2002.”

SHUTTERSTOCK/LEONY EKA PRAKASA JUNE 16, 2019 : A Sriwijaya Air B737-500 PK-CLC Citra at Sepinggan Airport.The aircraft make is similar to Sriwijaya Air's downed Flight SJ 182

Nolan included Garuda Flight 200 that went down over Yogyakarta in 2007, Lion Air 904 that went down over Bali in 2013, and Lion Air JT610, which fell out of the sky in October 2018.

Also read: Indonesian Investigators Collect DNA of Those Lost on Sriwijaya Air SJ182

At least one plaintiff, Slamet Bowo, is pinning his hopes on the legal suit. “I hope the lawsuit can bring closure to my grieving family, though it will not bring my brother back,“ said Slamet, who lost his brother Mulyadi in the disaster.