In re Paris Air Crash of March 3, 1947

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER FOR SEPARATE TRIALS

The general nature of the cases arising from the Paris air crash of March 3, 1974, and the resulting complexities are set out in the Memorandum of this Court on the question of the applicable choice of law on damages, filed August 1, 1975, D.C., 399 F.Supp. 732 , and need not be repeated here except as necessary.

The matter immediately before the Court involves the various motions for separate trials, and the oppositions thereto, filed by the several parties in these cases.

It first appeared that the motions had become moot after the announcement in open court on May 27, 1975, by McDonnell Douglas, General Dynamics, and Turkish Airlines that agreement had been reached which would eliminate issues of liability and which would permit prompt proceedings on the question of damages. 1 On such representation by defendants, the Court stayed discovery until June 16, then to July 8, *313 and then until August 25, 1975, for a report on progress on settlement.

As pointed out in this Court’s previous opinion on “choice of law,” the agreement was shown to the Court in camera; and upon consent of defendants, the Court made a brief, but not…