Eight Guyanese passengers who were on board the ill-fated Caribbean Airlines Flight 523 that overshot the runway and crashed at the Cheddi Jagan Airport have now moved to the Guyana courts seeking compensation.
In the separate lawsuits that were filed in time for the 2nd anniversary of the July 30 accident, passengers Ernest Scott, Abdool Latif, Maylene Persaud, Chelsea Persaud, Crystal Persaud, Shanti Persaud, Rajendra Persaud and Prampatie Persaud are all seeking to be awarded damages in excess of $1 Million each “for personal injuries, loss and damage suffered by the Plaintiff arising out of the negligent operation of Caribbean Airlines Flight # BW523, an aircraft owned, leased, operated, managed, maintained and/or controlled by the Defendant, its agents and/or servants, on the 30th day of July, 2011 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana”
The passengers would also like the court to award them interest and for Caribbean Airlines to cover the cost of the litigation. All of the passengers who have made the move to the Guyana Court in this latest matter are being represented by Attorneys Sase Gunraj and Jaya Singh.
The lawsuits were filed on July 26, 2013 and the airline has 10 days to reply. Caribbean Airlines is a Trinidad and Tobago registered company which also operates of Guyana. It is owned by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. There are a number of lawsuits already filed against the airline in the New York courts and reports indicate that several other passengers have indicated a decision to move to the courts seeking compensation.
The Caribbean Airlines 737 aircraft crashed through the fence of the Cheddi Jagan Airport, Timehri just after a “hard landing”. The Boeing manufactured aircraft broke into two as it came to a halt just at the edge of a 200 foot ravine which leads on to a roadway. 163 persons were on board the flight. No one died but several passengers suffered serious injuries. One passenger had his leg amputated during a surgery.
A preliminary report on the crash by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority faulted the pilot for the accident. The investigation reportedly found that the pilot landed the aircraft beyond the designated touch down spot and was unable to bring it to a controlled speed in time.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has completed its final report on the crash. The Guyana Government is expected to release the findings of the probe soon.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login