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Why the Lawyer Representing the Families of Those Killed in Alps Plane Crash Wants to Sue in the U.S.
A man stands in front of the stele in memory of Germanwings victims and visit the cemetery in Le Vernet, in the French Alps, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. A ceremony took place exactly six months after the co-pilot is believed to have intentionally crashed the Airbus 320 into a nearby mountain, killing all 150 people on board.(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

Why the Lawyer Representing the Families of Those Killed in Alps Plane Crash Wants to Sue in the U.S.

Prosecutors believe the Airbus A320 was intentionally crashed by its co-pilot.

BERLIN (AP) — A lawyer representing more than three dozen families whose loved ones were lost in the Germanwings plane crash in March says his clients want to sue for compensation in the United States, where courts could decide upon much larger settlements.

German lawyer Elmar Giemulla told the dpa news agency on Sunday that he met with 100 family members on Saturday, who agreed he should go ahead and pursue legal action in the U.S.

Prosecutors believe the Airbus A320 was intentionally crashed by its co-pilot, killing all 150 people on board the Germanwings Barcelona to Duesseldorf flight.

A man stands in front of the stele in memory of Germanwings victims and visit the cemetery in Le Vernet, in the French Alps, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. A ceremony took place exactly six months after the co-pilot is believed to have intentionally crashed the Airbus 320 into a nearby mountain, killing all 150 people on board.(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

The co-pilot at one point had trained in the United States and two of the victims of the crash were American. Giemulla, who represents 39 families, has previously said this should allow a U.S. court to take up the case.

The law in Germany, where almost half the 150 victims came from, doesn't currently consider the deceased's future earnings and the emotional impact on families when calculating how much money relatives are entitled to.

Lufthansa has offered around 100,000 euros ($108,000) per family, depending on its size. Giemulla says the offer is far too low.

Giemulla says he will talk again with Lufthansa before filing any suit.

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