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Airline to face clot death test - 31/07/01
The Daily Mail
The family of Emma Christoffersen the 28 year old who died last October after
developing a blood clot on a Qantas flight from Australia to London Heathrow, is
preparing to take legal action against the Australian airline. The action is
part of five test cases being prepared by Watford based Collins solicitors
against airlines on behalf of victims of the condition know as deep vein
thrombosis, which could open the way for multimillion pound claims for damages.
The death of Ms Christofersen first focused world-wide attention on the link between DVT and flying which has already spawned a series of lawsuite in Australia alleging that airlines have known of the risks of rover a decade but failed to warn passengers. Des Collins, one of the lawyers representing the Christofersen family, said he would use a similar argument. He is preparing a 'letter of claim' on behalf of the Christoffersen family to send to Quantas. He sent a similar letter to British Airways on Monday while American Airlines was sent one at the end of last week. Two other unnamed airline will receive similar letters.
The airline industry refuses to accept there is a proven connection between air travel and the development of the potentially fatal blood clots. Airlines are protected by international charter. Which defines an accident as an accident as an event 'external' to the passenger. Judges have upheld the argument that DVT does not meet this criterion |
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