ASL commences compensation process for injured passengers

Just over a week after 12 persons were injured following the crash landing of an Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft at Matthews Ridge, North West District, the company has begun the compensation process, according to Personnel Manager Omadat Singh.
Speaking to this newspaper on Wednesday, Singh explained that the affected passengers were in the process of collecting claims for compensation. To date, they have collected more than 50 per cent of the claim forms and are addressing the issue head on.
The passengers are required to claim for lost and damage baggage, lost and damage cargo, lost and damage personal items and any other claim they wished to make. They will also be compensated for the injuries they incurred as a result of the accident.

Compensation
Singh added that the company has started to pay compensation with respect to injuries, noting that it has been taking care of all medical and travelling expenses of the injured. To date, he added that company has spent close to Gy$ 4 million in this regard. In any accident of this magnitude, the manager disclosed that the insurance company will have to kick into gear, but not until a thorough investigation is completed and presented.
Once the clearance is given, the insurance company will release the money.
“The monies that we are spending now, it’s out of our pockets but that is not an issue because our customers come first,” he added.
Guyana Times International understands that the insurance company is an overseas one, with local agents here. “We have compensated Aloma Massay for her spectacles which was damaged during the crash… we will continue to do our part,” Singh disclosed.
Following the accident, Esther Williams from Baramita and Urmella Rajesh from Berbice, both underwent surgery for fractured facial bones at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Aloma Massay received injury to her right leg while Lloyd Thomas sustained injuries to his right shoulder, wrist and forehead and Ulan Benjamin received hip injuries.
Dexter Benjamin suffered lacerations to his lower right eyelid while Naline Dellon, Wesley Johnson, Troy Henry, Clifton Campbell and Sheldon Williams were treated for minor injuries. All the passengers were treated and discharged from various private medical institutions.
ASL disclosed that they have spent Gy$ 3 million in bills and also disbursed approximately Gy$ 600,000 to cover incidental expenses and transportation costs.
The Cessna Caravan with registration number 8R ASL crashed on July 16 in the vicinity of the Manganese company in Matthews Ridge, North West District. The injured persons along with the pilot of the aircraft, Feriel Ally was air-dashed to the city by a Trans Guyana Aircraft and were dispatched to several private medical institutions in the city. The aircraft was carrying 12 passengers at the time of the unfortunate accident which occurred about a quarter mile from the airstrip.