| $13,650,000 |
$8,055,000 |
$5,460,000 |
$135,000 |
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Product Liability, Apache Helicopter Gear Box, Spinal Injuries (settlement) |
Case Details
Settlement for two U.S. Army pilots who sustained serious spinal injuries in Iraq when an Apache Longbow helicopter they were piloting lost directional control due to a defective intermediate gearbox and crashed. This was a product liability action brought against the manufacturer of the Apache Longbow, the manufacturer of the intermediate gearbox, and the manufacturer of the vibration detector. A combination of defects led to the crash. The intermediate gearbox failed on account of manufacturing defects, as it was not properly lubricated when manufactured. A vibration detection system with vibration sensors affixed to the intermediate gearbox failed and deprived the pilots the necessary information that a vibration was occurring in the intermediate gear box. The helicopter hit the ground in a flat attitude. Both pilots sustained multiple fracture dislocations of vertebrae in their cervical spines. Both pilots required extensive surgical fixation of the fractures. One pilot was able to return to duty. The other pilot suffered quadriplegia.
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Settlement for two U.S. Army pilots who sustained serious spinal injuries in Iraq when an Apache Longbow helicopter they were piloting lost directional control due to a defective intermediate gearbox and crashed. This was a product liability action brought against the manufacturer of the Apache Longbow, the manufacturer of the intermediate gearbox, and the manufacturer of the vibration detector. A combination of defects led to the crash. The intermediate gearbox failed on account of manufacturing defects, as it was not properly lubricated when manufactured. A vibration detection system with vibration sensors affixed to the intermediate gearbox failed and deprived the pilots the necessary information that a vibration was occurring in the intermediate gear box. The helicopter hit the ground in a flat attitude. Both pilots sustained multiple fracture dislocations of vertebrae in their cervical spines. Both pilots required extensive surgical fixation of the fractures. One pilot was able to return to duty. The other pilot suffered quadriplegia.
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| $9,200,000 |
$6,320,064 |
$2,760,000 |
$119,358 |
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Product Liability, Defective Aircraft Carburetor, Wrongful Death (settlement)
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Case Details
Settlement for two wrongful deaths on account of a defective carburetor on a Cessna aircraft that caused a crash immediately following a take-off. The carburetor in question was defectively designed. The venturi inside the carburetor could melt and get sucked into the intake manifold of the engine causing an engine failure. There was a maintenance bulletin out to replace the venture. The Cessna was in for maintenance, but the maintenance bulletin was not carried out. This case is reported in the ATLA Law reporter at 14 PLLR 48.
Settlement for two wrongful deaths on account of a defective carburetor on a Cessna aircraft that caused a crash immediately following a take-off. The carburetor in question was defectively designed. The venturi inside the carburetor could melt and get sucked into the intake manifold of the engine causing an engine failure. There was a maintenance bulletin out to replace the venture. The Cessna was in for maintenance, but the maintenance bulletin was not carried out. This case is reported in the ATLA Law reporter at 14 PLLR 48.
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| $4,300,000 |
$309,000 |
$138,000 |
$13,000 |
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Pilot Error, Airplane Crash, Wrongful Death (jury verdict) |
Case Details
Jury verdict for wrongful death due to pilot negligence in a Beech 99 commuter airliner. The pilot attempted to take off without removing the control lock pin off of the controls and crashed on takeoff. The aircraft burst into flames, and our client was burned to death. This case is reported in the ATLA Law reporter at 27 ATLA L. Rep. 23.
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Jury verdict for wrongful death due to pilot negligence in a Beech 99 commuter airliner. The pilot attempted to take off without removing the control lock pin off of the controls and crashed on takeoff. The aircraft burst into flames, and our client was burned to death. This case is reported in the ATLA Law reporter at 27 ATLA L. Rep. 23.
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| $3,235,000 |
$2,361,250 |
$808,750 |
$65,000 |
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Brain Injury, Federal Tort Claim, FAA Negligence (verdict) affirmed on appeal
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Case Details
Bench verdict in Federal Court for a brain injury to check pilot in a Lear Jet crash caused by the negligence of an FAA check pilot who allowed the pilot being checked to make a second V1 cut, resulting in a high speed ground loop on take-off. This was a federal tort claims act case against the United States of America on account of negligence of one of its employees, the check pilot. Our client was the check pilot, who was seated next to the pilot being given the test flight. The FAA flight examiner was seated in the jump seat. FAA rules required that if the pilot being tested fails the V1 cut maneuver on a check flight, the check flight is over. The FAA flight examiner allowed a second V1 cut. It was during the second V1 cut that the pilot lost control during the takeoff, causing the Lear jet to enter into a yaw induced roll, and crashing. Our client was the check pilot. The pilot being tested was killed. The verdict was appealed by the United States of America and it was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. This case is reported in the ATLA Law reporter at 33 ATLA L. Rep. 192.
Bench verdict in Federal Court for a brain injury to check pilot in a Lear Jet crash caused by the negligence of an FAA check pilot who allowed the pilot being checked to make a second V1 cut, resulting in a high speed ground loop on take-off. This was a federal tort claims act case against the United States of America on account of negligence of one of its employees, the check pilot. Our client was the check pilot, who was seated next to the pilot being given the test flight. The FAA flight examiner was seated in the jump seat. FAA rules required that if the pilot being tested fails the V1 cut maneuver on a check flight, the check flight is over. The FAA flight examiner allowed a second V1 cut. It was during the second V1 cut that the pilot lost control during the takeoff, causing the Lear jet to enter into a yaw induced roll, and crashing. Our client was the check pilot. The pilot being tested was killed. The verdict was appealed by the United States of America and it was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. This case is reported in the ATLA Law reporter at 33 ATLA L. Rep. 192.
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| $2,950,000 |
$1,731,000 |
$1,180,000 |
$39,000 |
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Defective Design of Helicopter, Paralysis & Wrongful Death (settlement)
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Case Details
Settlement for wrongful death of 2 men that were killed when a Hughes 269C helicopter sustained an engine failure and crashed on account of the defective aerodynamic characteristics of the helicopter following a power failure. The helicopter was defectively designed. The design defect was that if there was an engine failure, and the pilot needed to commence an autorotation, the helicopter would “tuck.” The “tuck” feature meant that the nose of the helicopter would tuck nose down and roll. When it tucked, it was virtually impossible to recover from the tuck. This case was reported in ATLA Reporter at 32 ALTA Rep. 10.
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Settlement for wrongful death of 2 men that were killed when a Hughes 269C helicopter sustained an engine failure and crashed on account of the defective aerodynamic characteristics of the helicopter following a power failure. The helicopter was defectively designed. The design defect was that if there was an engine failure, and the pilot needed to commence an autorotation, the helicopter would “tuck.” The “tuck” feature meant that the nose of the helicopter would tuck nose down and roll. When it tucked, it was virtually impossible to recover from the tuck. This case was reported in ATLA Reporter at 32 ALTA Rep. 10.
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| $1,900,000 |
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$73,000 |
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Pilot Error, Helicopter Crash, Wrongful Death (jury verdict-no insurance coverage)
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Case Details
Jury verdict for wrongful death due to pilot error. The pilot error was that the pilot was attempting to fly in bad weather with poor visibility in a Bell helicopter. The weather conditions required that the pilot be instrument qualified. The pilot was not instrument qualified. The pilot lost control and crashed. Following the jury verdict, the insurance carrier for the pilot successfully filed a declaratory judgment action for a judicial determination that the insurance policy did not provide coverage for the damages.
Jury verdict for wrongful death due to pilot error. The pilot error was that the pilot was attempting to fly in bad weather with poor visibility in a Bell helicopter. The weather conditions required that the pilot be instrument qualified. The pilot was not instrument qualified. The pilot lost control and crashed. Following the jury verdict, the insurance carrier for the pilot successfully filed a declaratory judgment action for a judicial determination that the insurance policy did not provide coverage for the damages.
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| $1,500,000 |
$847,000 |
$600,000 |
$53,000 |
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Defective Aircraft Component, Military Aircraft, Wrongful Death (settlement) |
Case Details
Settlement for the wrongful death of a U.S. Air Force pilot of an RF-4 on account of a defective micro-switch that allowed flares to be fired inadvertently causing a loss of control resulting in a crash. The Air Force jet was flying a mission to shoot flares. The flares were inside compartments on both sides of the fuselage. When the pilot armed the flare launching system from the cockpit, a light would come on to let the pilot know that the system was ready. For the flare launching system to work, clamshell doors had to open. The clamshell doors were opened by a series of bellcranks. When the doors were fully open, one of the bellcranks would depress a microswitch which would result in the system ready light to come on in the cockpit. On the occasion in question, the clamshell doors on one side failed to open, but the microswitch was stuck in the position it would be in if the doors had opened properly. The pilot got a ready light, even though the clamshell doors were closed. The pilot began launching flares, but because the clamshell doors failed to open, the flares exploded inside the fuselage causing a loss of control and the crash, killing the pilot. It was proved that the microswitch was defectively manufactured and had been in a position since the time of manufacture to give a ready light in the cockpit regardless of whether the clamshell doors were open or closed.
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Settlement for the wrongful death of a U.S. Air Force pilot of an RF-4 on account of a defective micro-switch that allowed flares to be fired inadvertently causing a loss of control resulting in a crash. The Air Force jet was flying a mission to shoot flares. The flares were inside compartments on both sides of the fuselage. When the pilot armed the flare launching system from the cockpit, a light would come on to let the pilot know that the system was ready. For the flare launching system to work, clamshell doors had to open. The clamshell doors were opened by a series of bellcranks. When the doors were fully open, one of the bellcranks would depress a microswitch which would result in the system ready light to come on in the cockpit. On the occasion in question, the clamshell doors on one side failed to open, but the microswitch was stuck in the position it would be in if the doors had opened properly. The pilot got a ready light, even though the clamshell doors were closed. The pilot began launching flares, but because the clamshell doors failed to open, the flares exploded inside the fuselage causing a loss of control and the crash, killing the pilot. It was proved that the microswitch was defectively manufactured and had been in a position since the time of manufacture to give a ready light in the cockpit regardless of whether the clamshell doors were open or closed.
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| $1,000,000 |
$630,000 |
$333,000 |
$36,000 |
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Defective Military Aircraft, Manufacturing Defect, Wrongful Death (settlement)
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Case Details
Settlement for the wrongful death of a U.S. Air Force pilot of an RF-4 on account of a defective fastener hole on the wing torque box that caused a wing to come off in flight resulting in a crash. The pilot was engaged in high g maneuvering during a training dog fight. While in a high g turn, the outboard wing separated from the aircraft, causing the fatal crash. The cause of the outboard wing separation was that a fastener hole on a structural piece of the wing had been improperly finished. There was a failure to chamfer the edge of the fastener hole. The failure to chamfer the hole led to a stress riser, which led to a fatigue failure. When the fatigue failure grew over time, it then caused the structural integrity of the wing to be unable to withstand the usual high g forces of combat maneuvering.
Settlement for the wrongful death of a U.S. Air Force pilot of an RF-4 on account of a defective fastener hole on the wing torque box that caused a wing to come off in flight resulting in a crash. The pilot was engaged in high g maneuvering during a training dog fight. While in a high g turn, the outboard wing separated from the aircraft, causing the fatal crash. The cause of the outboard wing separation was that a fastener hole on a structural piece of the wing had been improperly finished. There was a failure to chamfer the edge of the fastener hole. The failure to chamfer the hole led to a stress riser, which led to a fatigue failure. When the fatigue failure grew over time, it then caused the structural integrity of the wing to be unable to withstand the usual high g forces of combat maneuvering.
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| $1,000,000 |
$600,000 |
$400,000 |
$0 |
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Product Liability, military helicopter crash, parents of adult son |
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