Families of victims involved in airline tragedy win in legal battle in Ontario courts

Major news has hit Canada today, as the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has just ruled that Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) is now legally accountable for supplying full compensation to the families who lost loved ones when UIA Flight 752 went down over Iran back in January of 2020. 

According to an official press release, this conclusion is the byproduct of a joint Canadian legal force involving  Vancouver-based CFM Lawyers LLP and Toronto’s Howie Sacks & Henry LLP. 

As indicated by legal officials, Flight PS752 was carrying both Canadian citizens and permanent residents when it was shot down over Tehran by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. According to information provided by Howie Sacks & Henry — at the time of the incident — political tensions between the US and Iran were at an extreme precipice. 

Ontario Courts have now found that UIA was operating in a negligent capacity when conducting flight operations out of Tehran, as they did not assess the obvious risk at the time of the incident. 

“This is an important result for our clients who lost loved ones in the downing of Flight 752 For the first time, the families now have complete answers to UIA’s role in this horrible tragedy,” said Joe Fiorante of CFM Lawyers in an official statement to the press. 

As a result of the verdict, UIA representatives cannot limit compensation to the families with their initial intended amount — which was $180,000 USD per victim. Instead, full damages must now be paid to the families of passengers who lost their lives in the incident. 

Legal teams who fought on behalf of the families hope that this conclusion within Canadian courts will send a clear message across the world, as Paul Miller of Howie Sacks & Henry stated to the press, “This verdict sends a strong message to international airlines that they must put the safety of their passengers first. Airlines must take proper measures to avoid operations in conflict zones.”