The crash of Boeing 737 MAX 8 PK-LQP flight number JT-610 owned by Lion Air was the gloomiest day for families of its victims. Many of the victims’ families haven’t received compensation yet.
The crash of Boeing 737 MAX 8 PK-LQP flight number JT-610 owned by Lion Air was the gloomiest day for families of its victims. Many of the victims’ families haven’t received compensation yet.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft crashed off the coast of Karawang, West Java, on Oct. 29, 2018. A total of 189 people died in the accident.
So far, out of the 189 victims, only 69 of their families have received compensation worth Rp1.25 billion (US$89,115) from Lion Air. The other 120 families of the victims haven’t received theirs yet.
Boeing as the manufacturing company of 737 MAX 8 aircraft on Tuesday stated that it would provide compensation for the families of Lion Air’s PK-LQP crash victims. Twenty-five family members of the victims have received the funds, while 40 others are still in the process of acquiring compensation.
Pending the granting of compensation by Lion Air or Boeing, many of the victims’ families live hand to mouth. A number of victims supported their families as main breadwinners.
Father died when I was a third-year junior high school student.
The length of time for compensation disbursement and the difficulties to meet requirements have made some of the heirs lose their jobs. Rahudin R, 27, who lost his mother as a result of the tragedy, now serves as the parent and wage earner to support his three younger siblings.
“Father died when I was a third-year junior high school student. We had to lose again when mother became a victim of the Lion Air plane crash,” said Rahudin.
According to him, they are now relying on the pension allowances of their father and mother.
“We haven’t gotten the Rp1.25 billion compensation from Lion Air,” he said.
Difficulties
Rahudin said he needed the compensation to meet family needs and pay his three siblings’ school fees. However, added Rahudin, he had difficulties securing his right as a victim’s family member.
Rahudin has had to cease working in order to focus on the handling of documents for his compensation. There are many requirements set forth by the airline company for the disbursement of the compensation. Besides, he also finds the handling of his mother’s death certificate complicated.
The difficulties to obtain compensation for victims’ families are also faced by Eti Rohaeti, 46, the mother of Naqiya, 19, one of the victims in the Lion Air tragedy. Although she has submitted all papers, she still hasn’t yet secured her rights.
He needed the compensation to meet family needs and pay his three siblings’ school fees.
“With Lion Air, it’s indeed like we’ve all known. The process is now more directed at Boeing and we fully entrust it to an attorney more knowledgeable about law. Hopefully, it will run smoothly. We’re just praying for it,” said Eti.
Eti related that Naqiya should have been 20 years old on Wednesday and start her university studies. When the tragedy occurred, Naqiya was handling documents to follow an educational scholarship program on Bangka Belitung Islands.
“Naqiya was then following devotional service at Pondok Tahfidz Quran [boarding school] in Bandung [West Java]. So, she actually planned to come here [Pangkal Pinang] only for a while to deliver the papers for the scholarship program. This year, she should in fact have attended lectures,” she said.
Yet the plane Naqiya boarded crashed in the waters off Karawang.
For families of the victims, they want to see justice so that whoever was at fault in the tragedy can be held accountable, including Boeing as the aircraft producer. Previously, the National Committee on Transportation Safety mentioned the absence of information about sensors and flight indicators as the dominant factor causing the Lion Air PK-LQP accident.
Vinni Wulandari, 36, the sister of Harvino, 41, the copilot of the 737 MAX aircraft, affirmed that she would not accept a peace deal with Boeing. A lawsuit has been filed in December 2018 and is in the process of mediation.
“We’re suing Boeing not because of the money, but instead, we filed the suit really in our quest for justice. However long it may be, we will carry on this effort,” said Vinni.
The provision of this compensation is not a matter of figures or values, but rather a matter of human treatment.
Human treatment
According to Rendy Kailimang, the attorney representing 11 families of victims, if the families wish to obtain compensation, they have to sign documents of release and discharge. These papers contain points of the families’ agreement to relinquish their right to sue the companies involved in the accident, including Lion Air and Boeing, under whatever jurisdiction.
The signing of the documents, added Rendy, would have the potential to breach the rule in the transfer of the compensation. The victims should be unconditionally granted the compensation.
“The provision of this compensation is not a matter of figures or values, but rather a matter of human treatment of the people who have lost their family members so that they can continue their lives,” said Rendy.
The victims’ families are still waiting for a concrete form of commitment to providing the compensation. This is not just about figures.