At long last, the last wrongful death lawsuit against the airlines over 9-11 was settled but the family of Mark Bavis issued a warning that neither the carriers or the government have done enough to prevent another similar attack.
“Such a tragedy … should never again be the result of lack of oversight or preparation or because lobbyists have so much influence and power in Washington, D.C., that American lives are at risk,” the Bavis family said in a public letter reported by the AP. It added:
“Our government’s job is to protect the people — from foreign armies, terrorists and even our own American corporations. It is time that our elected officials take responsibility for the authority we have given them.”
Mark Bavis was a scout for the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings who was on his way to training camp on United Flight 175 in Boston when it was flown into the south tower of the World Trade Center.
The Bavises were among 95 families that chose not to file a claim with the government-backed US$7 billion Victims Compensation Fund that was established to protect the airlines from lawsuits.
The other families had all settled by the 10th anniversary of the attacks, said the AP. The Bavises, however, said they would not settle because they wanted to expose the failures of the airline industry to protect passengers.
In the letter released by the family, they said the change of mind came after U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein “essentially gutted the case so that the truth about what led to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, would never be told at trial.”
“The lawsuit was about wrongful death, gross negligence and a complete lack of appreciation for the value of human life. He instead made it a case about a federal regulation,” the letter said.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
“The tragic events of 9/11 impacted all of us, and we are pleased to resolve this case,” United Airlines said in a statement.
By David Wilkening
