Two N.S. law firms to file class action lawsuits after flight crash

Transportation Safety Board members look over Air Canada flight 624

Two Halifax law firms say they intend to file class action lawsuits after being approached by passengers of Air Canada Flight 624.

One of the firms, MacGillivray Injury and Insurance Law, says it began getting calls within hours of the flight’s crash landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“We are going to pursue this claim and we are going to go after Air Canada, as well as the Halifax International Airport and Nav Canada,” said Ali Raja of MacGillivray Law.

MacGillivray’s lawsuit is to be filed with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.

“I think there’s a lot of answering that needs to be done,” Raja said.

His firm has been contacted by 10 passengers so far, while four more have been in touch with Halifax-based law firm Wagners.

Both firms say they intend to file a class action lawsuit claiming physical and psychological trauma.

“To try to ensure that it doesn't happen again, so all the errors that took place, that kind of made the perfect storm for this unfortunate event, can be addressed and corrected,” said Ray Wagner of Wagners.

Air Canada, Nav Canada and Halifax Stanfield International Airport all declined to comment on a potential lawsuit.

On Tuesday, investigators with the Transportation Safety Board concluded their site examination of the aircraft, saying the plane should be removed from the airport runway within a few days.

Phillip and Steve Cameron, two of the 133 passengers onboard Air Canada Flight 624, were returning from a sports trip to Boston.

The father and son say they’re considering legal action.

“If there is a precedent for it, we will certainly pursue something,” Steve said.

Phillip was emotional remembering the intense moments of the plane’s crash landing.

“I thought in the seconds we were sliding, we were waiting for one more bang, thinking it was all over then,” he said.

Another passenger, Steve Earle, helped rescue an 80-year-old woman struggling to get off the aircraft.

“I picked her up, because we needed to go fast, and that was really the only way to get it done,” Earle said.

Though he said he’s struggling with the aftermath of being involved in such a crash, Earle said he won’t be joining a lawsuit.

“I think there's going to be different degrees that people need help, either financially or medically or mentally,” Earle said.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kayla Hounsell