American Airlines and United Airlines should be held liable for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks because they did not stop hijackers from entering the cockpits of the four hijacked planes, a lawyer for victims’ families argued on Thursday. The lawyer, Marc Moller, made his arguments in a hearing aimed at determining whether litigation can proceed against six groups of defendants, including American and United. The defendants include other carriers who shared responsibility for setting up airline security, Boeing Co., airport operators and the owner and the leaseholder of the World Trade Center. The victims’ families are suing for unspecified damages. The hearing, which will continue on Friday in Manhattan federal court, involves more than 60 claims filed by families of victims who were killed on the ground. The outcome of the hearing is being widely watched because it will determine whether other families choose to join the litigation instead of seeking payment from a national compensation fund. The defendants have asked U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to dismiss the lawsuits. If he decides to allow litigation to proceed, he will consider claims brought by families of those aboard the four planes used in the attacks. Full Story
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