NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
A Chicago-based attorney has taken the
first formal legal steps related to Malaysia
Airlines Flight 370 , the opening shot in what
promises to be a sustained litigation
campaign.
Monica Kelly, a lawyer at Ribbeck Law, asked an
Illinois state judge on Tuesday to order Malaysia
Airlines and Boeing, which manufactured the
missing airplane, to provide documents and other
information.
Kelly is seeking specific information about the
airline's batteries, details on the fire and oxygen
systems and records related to the fuselage.
The filing appears to be the first move toward
U.S.-based litigation stemming from the March 8
incident. The firm said it plans to build a multi-
million dollar suit against the airline and Boeing.
Boeing ( , Fortune 500) declined to comment
late Tuesday, and Malaysia Airlines officials were
not immediately available.
Kelly's client, Januari Siregar, is the father of a
Flight 370 passenger . I
t was not immediately clear
when a judge would consider the filing.
International law dictates where suits against an
airline may be brought. The families of victims are
allowed to pursue legal action in countries
including where tickets were purchased and where
the airline is based. Suits can also be filed in the
passenger's final destination.
That means most suits against Malaysia Airlines
would be filed in China or Malaysia.
Related: Malaysia Airlines' $5,000 payment is just
the beginning
International law does not, however, dictate where
lawsuits against other parties, including Chicago-
based Boeing, may be brought. Legal experts say
crafting a case against the airplane's manufacturer
is more difficult than against the airline.
Malaysia Airlines said it believes the plane crashed
in the Indian Ocean and that all 239 people aboard
the aircraft died. No physical evidence of the plane
or passengers has been found.
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