Boeing announced a $100 million fund for families of 737 MAX crash victims. Boeing said the funds will those affected by the crashes of two of its Max jetliners. However, Business Insider reports a lawyer for 23 victims' families says that the announcement is going over poorly. Boeing faces numerous lawsuits and investigations in the … [Read more...]
Asbestos Finds Its Way into Modern Aircraft
Before the 1980s, aircraft mechanics worked with asbestos everyday. The material was used in nearly every engine component that was exposed to heat. Though asbestos has been banned from use in modern aircraft parts, some parts in circulation made before 1980 still contain asbestos. In an ideal world, mechanics would be able to know if parts they’re … [Read more...]
$115 Million Awarded for Deaths of Flight Crew Members in Afghanistan Cargo Plane Crash
A jury has awarded $115 million to the families of three crew members killed in a crash of a National Airlines Boeing 747-400 cargo plane in 2013. The crash took place within minutes of liftoff from an airfield in Bagram Afghanistan. The plane was overloaded and the cargo inadequately secured. Shifting cargo ultimately caused damage to the plane’s … [Read more...]
Family of Pilots Who Died in Frederick Midair Crash Receive $17 million
In early April, a jury awarded $17 million to families of pilots killed in 2014 in a midair collision over Frederick, MD. The family sued the Midwest Air Traffic Control Services because, according to the families’ claims, the contractor, which operates the Frederick Municipal Airport tower, negligently caused the deaths of Christopher Parsons and … [Read more...]
USDOT Announces New Air Passenger Consumer Protection Rules
More than 700 million passengers board domestic airline flights every year in the U.S. Airlines, and 700 million passengers means big money. Human nature being the way it is, it is unsurprising that absent sufficient consumer protection regulations, airlines will find a way to fleece passengers through the use of sharp business practices. Part of … [Read more...]
Pilot of Fatal Hot Air Balloon Trip Had Multiple DUI Convictions
Last week saw the deadliest hot air balloon crash in recent U.S. history when a craft hit powerlines in a pasture south of Austin and then fell to the ground. In all 16 people, 15 passengers and the pilot, were killed. In the investigation following the crash, investigators are discovering that the pilot had a checkered driving history, but that … [Read more...]
FAA to Loosen Medical Restrictions on Some Pilots
Three levels of medical certificates are required of various pilots – third class, second class and first class. Each involves a more thorough and invasive medical exam than the last, and each confers greater privileges on the pilots who hold it. Commercial airline pilots, for example, must hold first-class medical certificates, while pilots … [Read more...]
Air Traffic Controller Liability
An air traffic controller (“ATC”) holds one of the most important and stressful jobs in existence – one mistake could result in the violent death of hundreds of people. Settled legal standards apply to protect people who are injured by ATC negligence and people who are harmed by the death of another person that was caused by ATC negligence. What … [Read more...]
Tricky Legal Issues in Product Liability Lawsuit against Aircraft Manufacturers
When someone is injured or killed in a plane crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) usually attributes the cause to “pilot error”. In some cases, however, the cause of the accident can be traced to a manufacturing defect in the aircraft itself. In these cases, under certain circumstances the manufacturer of the aircraft or a component … [Read more...]
Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Boeing in Whistleblower Suit
On Monday, June 13th, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Boeing and its subcontractor in a whistleblower lawsuit involving claims of defrauding the government. Three ex-workers of Boeing claimed that the company had built and sold aircraft with faulty parts that could pose a severe risk of malfunction. One of the whistleblowers, … [Read more...]
