Germanwings crash victims' families sue German state

More than eleven years after the Germanwings Flight 4U9525 crash in the French Alps, a new civil lawsuit is set to begin at the Braunschweig District Court. Thirty relatives of the 150 victims are seeking damages from the German federal government, with individual claims ranging from 500 to 110,000 euros.

The legal proceedings focus on whether state authorities, specifically the Federal Aviation Office (LBA) based in Braunschweig, failed in their duty to monitor the co-pilot's medical and psychological fitness. The 2015 crash occurred when the co-pilot intentionally steered the Airbus A320 into a mountain massif, killing all on board, including a group of students from Haltern am See.

A legal contradiction has emerged in the case. While a higher court previously ruled that the airline Lufthansa was not liable because pilot medical supervision is a state responsibility, the current court has issued a preliminary assessment suggesting the claim against the state might be unsubstantiated as long as victims can seek compensation from Lufthansa. Plaintiffs' counsel, Professor Julius Reiter, argues that victims should not be caught in a loop of shifting responsibility between the airline and the state.