The Thai owners of Leicester City Football Club have rejected a £7 million-plus claim from the family of an employee who died in the helicopter crash which claimed five lives at the club last October.
Nusara Suknamai died alongside the club’s billionaire owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and three others when the helicopter they were in came crashing down to earth.
The pilot lost control after it suffered technical issues soon after taking off from the Leicester pitch following a match against West Ham on October 27, last year.
It crashed on land at the rear of the King Power Stadium, before bursting into flames.
Kaveporn Punpare, Izabela Roza Lechowicz and Eric Swaffer also died in the accident.
The family of Ms Suknamai are now reported to be demanding 300 million baht – more than £7 million – in damages from the estate of Khun Vichai, as he was known.
According to reports in the Thai media, her family are planning to take Khun Vichai’s estate to court in November, saying they received the equivalent of around £2,000 for funeral costs and an amount of money to donate to monks.
Lawyers for the family are reported to have said they were also offered around £20,100 and later £40,200 but declined the money.
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The lawyers are understood to have said Ms Nusara, a 2005 Miss Thailand Universe runner-up, was the main financial supporter of her parents.
Today King Power, the Thai duty-free retailer and owner of Leicester City, said it had still to receive a formal complaint from Ms Nusara’s family.
Despite that the business said it was “declining” the employee’s claims as well as the £7 million lawsuit filed against King Power Duty Free and the late Khun Vichai’s estate.
In a statement it said: “King Power had provided Nusara’s family with all legal support and assistances, including claim against insurance after the accident.
“However, the family accepted only statutory and welfare payments but denied other assistances offered.
“Last December King Power offered financial support to the family on a humanitarian basis but the family declined.
“The family also denied a non-prejudice initial payment offered by the insurer for USD 25,000 [around £20,000] including improved offers and has not reached a settlement with the insurer for the last 10 months.
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“This accident also caused death to former Chairman Khun Vichai and great loss and sorrow to all families and members of King Power Duty Free.
“It was an undesirable event.
“The accident is currently under investigation by the 海角视频 Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
“According to AAIB’s interim report released last December, the accident was caused by a failure within the tail rotor control system.
“AAIB’s final report is expected to be released in mid-2020.”