They argued that, although KiK did not cause the fire, it shared blame for a lack of safety measures at the factory. But a spokesman for the regional court in Dortmund said judges agreed with a court-appointed expert's finding that the civil suit was not filed within the applicable two-year period.
The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a Berlin-based rights group supporting the plaintiffs, said it was considering appealing the ruling.
"KiK was the factory's main customer and therefore bears some of the responsibility for the inadequate fire safety measures," lawyer Remo Klinger, who represented the plaintiffs, said in a statement. KiK, which has paid over $6.0 million in compensation to survivors and victims' families, has rejected liability for the fatal fire. "KiK evades the legal responsibility for the death of 258 people, but at least a German court was willing to look into the case in the first place," said claimant Saeeda Khatoon, whose son died in the inferno.