Distinguished Plane Crash Lawsuit Representation
With years of successful aviation lawsuit representation, our aviation lawyers have helped the families of passengers and crew killed or injured in a plane crash fight against virtually every major aircraft parts manufacturer, assembler and air carrier. This degree of exposure and leadership in plane crash lawsuit representation has earned the firm a distinguished reputation.
Real Lawsuits in the Aviation Practice
After an unblemished two-and-a-half-year record, the longest in aviation history of no fatal accidents in a mass commercial disaster, a plane carrying 49 people crashed in Clarence Center just outside of Buffalo, New York. The Dash 8 Q400 Bombardier turboprop plane crashed into a home, killing one person and injuring two others. Immediately, as in all plane crashes, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) dispatched investigators to the scene and they began the task of trying to find the cause of the tragedy. In this case, the cockpit recorder and voice recording devices were recovered and immediately sent to Washington, D.C., to begin reviewing what occurred.
Within days, as the families were grieving the unbearable loss of their loved ones, the NTSB worked through the last moments of those who were on the plane. Many aspects of the airplane were examined: pilots’ commands and decisions, and the de-icing device on the edge of the airplane’s wings. While icing on the wings and tail were some of the initial issues, it would be months before the NTSB would determine a final conclusion that could assist in the plane crash lawsuit.
On Halloween night in 1994, a plane crash in Roselawn, Indiana, killed all 68 passengers and crew. This time, it was an ATR turboprop plane that crashed because of the same problem with the de-icing device. Clifford Law Offices became lead counsel in the consolidated aviation lawsuits that followed, and represented 16 families who lost loved ones. Then, families were told of their loss in cold, insensitive ways, and the treasured remains of their loved ones were treated with little to no respect. With their knowledge of plane crashes and lawsuits, the aviation lawyers at Clifford Law Offices hired experts, including a former Senior Air Safety Investigator for the NTSB. They traveled to France, where the pneumatic boot had been developed, to interview and take the depositions of the engineers who created the de-icing device.
As the jury sat waiting for the trial to begin, the case settled for $110 million for 28 of the families. The defense attorneys apologized to the families in open court. In a unique ruling, the court allowed Robert Clifford to make a short opening statement, so that the voices of the plaintiffs would be heard. As a result of this aviation lawsuit, regulations in the United States were changed to improve the safety of the device.
The Path of a Plane Crash Lawsuit
Mass commercial airline disasters do not occur often, but when they do, they capture the attention of the nation and the world. The flying public needs assurances that it is safe to fly, but how can it when the cause of the crash remains unknown for months? What is discovered during an aviation lawsuit may require changes to be implemented throughout the airline industry or with a particular airline or manufacturer. Often, this kind of change is instituted because of a successful lawsuit involving a serious plane crash.
The cases detailed above demonstrate the path of an airplane crash lawsuit. Although the grieving never stops and the loss cannot be replaced, the aviation lawyers at Clifford Law Offices work to find answers that the victims need. The answers to “What happened?” The answers that they deserve.
The aviation lawyers at Clifford Law Offices have been involved in every major commercial airline disaster in this country over the last 25 years. Aviation accident attorneys at the firm have represented families of those who lost loved ones in small plane crashes, corporate jets, private planes and helicopter crashes. They all are very sad stories, and these lawsuits represent families who will be forever changed by the plane crash.
The civil justice system cannot bring back their loved ones. They cannot undo the disaster that occurred. It can only try to correct the mistakes that were made by dealing with those who will be flying in the future, and asking for damages so that those who are responsible for the crashes will be held accountable for the wrongs they have committed.
Please tour the website to read about aviation accidents and lawsuits throughout the nation (and the world) that have been represented by the aviation attorneys at Clifford Law Offices. If you have any questions, please call the firm at 312-899-9090.
* Mass Commercial Airline Disasters
* Small Plane/Corporate Jet/Private Plane Crashes
* Helicopter Crashes/Medevac Crashes
For further information please contact us at 312-899-9090 or 800-899-0410. Additionally, click here to view our aviation accident cases.
Each aviation accident attorney at Clifford Law Offices has the knowledge, experience, and qualifications to manage complex aviation litigation. If you need a plane crash lawyer, call us for qualified aviation lawyers at an experience aviation law firm.