[…] payments may create goodwill, lawyers say, but they are not likely to discourage some families from seeking more than the amount promised under an international treaty – about $174,000.
Since the early days of commercial aviation, international agreements have governed compensation for crash victims.
Malaysian officials have said that the route over eastern Ukraine was deemed safe by international aviation authorities as long as the plane flew higher than 32,000 feet – below that, Ukraine had closed the airspace, presumably because of the threat posed by pro-Russia rebels armed with shoulder-held antiaircraft guns, which have a limited range. …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
