Responsible Parties

Beyond compensation governed by international aviation treaties, a long list of potentially responsible parties can be legally compelled to provide compensation if they are deemed to be responsible factors in the incident: the plane's owner, operating company, manufacturer, leasing agency, the airport, air traffic control, maintenance or handling crew, the company who fueled the plane prior to the crash or even the manufacturer of any component part.

If an American company is deemed partially responsible for the tragedy, a product liability claim pay be filed in their home state in the USA. The nationality of the family is no hindrance to a claim in a United States Court. However, it is not certain that a lawsuit would stay in the U.S. or if it would be transferred back to the country where the judge felt was more appropriate. Average compensation awards in the U.S.A. can be up to ten times higher than those in France and probably most countries in the world, so the lawyers George consults for would carefully examine the evidence to determine what companies were at fault, and if a legitimate claim can be made against an American corporation.