Under the Montreal Protocols to the Warsaw Convention, which the Administration is planning to bring to the Senate floor for a vote, a limit on airline liability of $135,000 would remain, but the willful misconduct exception would be eliminated, and there would be no investigation of fault.
Domestically, he contended with stringent limitations on airline liability and on where damage suits could be filed.
For example, the main lawyer representing the families in their suit against Pan Am was Lee S. Kreindler, described here as the country's leading expert on airline liability.
Delta chose not to buy all of Pan Am because it did not want all the airline's liabilities and because Pan Am is heavily unionized while most of Delta's work force is not.
The Transportation Department limits airline liability to $1,250 per claim; if your checked possessions are worth more than that, buy "excess valuation" insurance, if available, as you check in.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that the treaty covering airline liability on international flights does not permit passengers to recover damages for mental anguish or other purely psychic injuries.
Although Mr. Kean did not specify which panelists might face a conflict of interest, the rules would appear to force at least three members of the panel with business ties to the airline industry to recuse themselves on issues involving airline liability.
To seek an award from the fund, claimants must waive their right to sue over the disaster, a requirement intended to limit airline liability for the attacks.
Furthermore, the Community must bring Community rules on airline liability into line with those of the Montreal Convention, which is the aim of this proposal.
In a 6-to-2 decision, the court upheld a lower court ruling that the flight attendant's refusal constituted an "accident" under the treaty governing airline liability, the Warsaw Convention, and that Olympic Airways should pay the passenger's widow $1.4 million.