ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070051
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
Eight major U.S. airlines have agreed to lift the limit on compensation for people killed or injured on international flights, a source close to the agreement said Thursday.
The previous limit, set under the 1929 Warsaw Convention, was $75,000 unless the victims could prove the airline guilty of willful misconduct leading to the accident. That led to costly legal battles.
Some victims' families expressed concern that next-of-kin would have a harder time learning what went wrong on doomed flights. They said details of airline negligence, exposed in previous trials, might no longer be relevant in court.
The airlines that reportedly lifted the cap were American, Continental, Delta, Hawaiian, Northwest, TWA, United and USAir.
-Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 27 linesby CNB