THE airlines involved in the High Court deep vein thrombosis action would "vigorously dispute" any allegation that they were to blame, the High Court heard yesterday.

A group of 55 survivors of DVT and relatives of people now dead - including Tim Stuart, the fiance of Llanmartin DVT victim Emma Christoffersen - are claiming compensation from 27 carriers over an alleged breach of duty of care.

Miss Christoffersen, 28, died in 2000 after a long-haul British Airways flight from Australia.

Mr Justice Nelson, in London, must decide the contested preliminary legal issue of whether DVT can be an accident under the terms of the 1929 Warsaw Convention. Robert Lawson, who is representing all the airlines involved except for Qantas, said that it was to be decided on the basis of a "specimen matrix".

This included an explanation of DVT and certain factors which predisposed individuals to its onset and described an "unremarkable" flight.

He said that the claimants' case was that this matrix disclosed fault on the part of the carriers, which gave rise to liability under domestic law - subject to the impact of the convention.

"The carriers vigorously dispute these allegations. "In the event that any of the actions proceed any further, the carriers will challenge them - both at a generic and at an individual level."

British Airways, which is one of the airlines concerned, has said that the company will resist claims against it in the context of advice given by the Government and the World Health Organisation that no specific link between flying and DVT has been established. The case continues.