Aviation Accidents

Helicopter Crash – $3,100,000 Wrongful Death Settlement
Our aviation litigation team negotiated a settlement in the amount of $3,131,000 on behalf of the heirs of a 41-year-old helicopter ski guide who was killed when the helicopter in which he and three clients were riding crashed in the Ruby Mountains near Elko, Nevada.  Our attorneys were able to prove, with the assistance of specialists in aviation accident reconstruction, that the crash was caused by a flameout in the helicopter’s jet engine as a result of defective design of its air inlets.  Our attorneys also proved that the company which chartered the helicopter was negligent in its maintenance procedures and its failure to install proper engine inlet covers whenever the helicopter was grounded in snowy conditions.  Our clients included the surviving wife and 2-year-old son of the deceased.

Private Plane Crash – $3,000,000 Wrongful Death Settlement
Our aviation litigators obtained a $3,000,000 settlement on behalf of the widow and two surviving children of a 45-year-old missionary who died in a plane crash in Mexico.  While traveling on a missionary relief effort, the cam shaft gear broke in the plane which the decedent was piloting.  Our attorneys successfully brought a wrongful death claim against the manufacturers of the engine, demonstrating that the engine contained both design and manufacturing flaws.  Although our client’s husband attempted an emergency landing, he was unable to find a suitable place to safely land the craft.  The plane struck a forested area before it reached the ground and the decedent lost his life. 

Commercial Air Crash – $2,000,000 Wrongful Death Settlement
Our airline litigation team obtained a settlement in excess of $2,000,000 on behalf of the grandparents of a 7-year-old child who died on Alaska Airlines Flight #261 when the plane crashed en route from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco.  Our aviation team, working in conjunction with attorneys for other plaintiffs in the case, was able to prove that Alaska did not take all necessary measures to perform required maintenance, overlooked signs of potential problems, and thereby assumed responsibility for the deaths, as modified by the terms of the Warsaw Convention.  Our attorneys also claimed that the Alaska pilots failed to immediately seek permission to land when the crew first noted difficulty in operation of the aircraft, that Alaska failed to remove or repair the jack screw assembly of the tail as required by good and sound maintenance practices, and failed to provide necessary and appropriate training to the flight crew.