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Family of woman killed in air crash to file lawsuit

36-year-old Joanna Toole, from Exmouth, was one of seven Britons on board the aircraft

The family of a Devon woman killed in an air disaster have commenced legal action against the plane's manufacturers.

36-year-old Joanna Toole, from Exmouth, was one of seven Britons on board the Boeing Ethiopian Airlines aircraft when it crashed in March - killing all 157 people on board.

It's believed to be the first case arising from the tragedy to be filed at court by the family of a British passenger.

Specialist aviation lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, working with colleagues in the US have now commenced court proceedings in Chicago, Illinois on behalf of Joanna’s family.

She was on board the plane while working for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and was travelling to the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, when the accident occurred.

Her father Adrian said: “Joanna was a wonderfully warm and inspirational person who dedicated her life to the welfare of animals.

"The last few months trying to accept her death in such sudden and unexpected circumstances have been incredibly difficult.

“Nothing can ever bring Joanna back but we hope that by continuing to push for answers about what went wrong, justice will be done and flight safety improved for others in the future.”

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