Veeru Mewa, a lawyer acting on behalf of 91 next of kin in compensation negotiations with Malaysian Airlines, has described the offers being made by the airline as 'almost offensive' to the family members of victims who were on board flight MH17. The Boeing 777 aircraft was shot down by a missile over Ukraine in July 2014 while en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Funeral costs only

Specifically, Mr Mewa has accused the airline and its insurers of 'taking advantage of Dutch law' to ensure that compensation payments are minimal. Under Dutch law, next of kin are only entitled to compensation for funeral costs if an individual is killed as the result of an accident. Negotiations between the airline and victims' families are ongoing in the lead up two the two-year anniversary of the tragedy on 17 July, which also serves as the filing deadline for lawsuits relating to the crash under the 1999 Montreal Convention.

Source: International Business Times