By David Carnes, Staff Writer Federal courts have consistently held that federal law preempts the entire field of “aviation safety”. This means, in effect, that you cannot file a lawsuit based on a state aircraft safety statute. Instead, litigants are expected to file their claims based on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations or other … [Read more...]
Egypt Air MS181 Hijacking Highlights Passenger Vulnerability
Although the recent hijacking of EgyptAir Flight MS181 to Cyprus by a man wearing a fake explosive belt ended peacefully with no injuries, previous hijack victims have not always been so lucky. Surviving victims of hijackings and other lapses of airline security can file lawsuits seeking compensation for their losses. Even if they don’t survive, … [Read more...]
Ambulance Helicopter Crashes in Alabama
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a helicopter accident that killed four people in Alabama this past weekend. The ambulance helicopter crashed early Saturday morning in Goodman while attempting to respond to an unrelated accident. The victims in the crash were pilot Chad Hammond, nurse Stacey Cernadas, medic Jason Snipes, … [Read more...]
Aircraft Turbulence Injuries
Not all aircraft injuries are caused by crashes or mechanical malfunctions — injuries caused by air turbulence represent a real danger that rarely receives significant press coverage. Although passengers are rarely killed by air turbulence, serious injuries do occur on a regular basis. Whether or not you can maintain an air turbulence injury … [Read more...]
Families of Charter School Students Killed in Plane Crash Reach Settlement
A charter school in New Mexico has reached a settlement with the families of three students who were killed in a plane crash in 2014 while working as ecological monitoring interns in the Gila National Forest. The 14-year-old Ella Kirk, 16-year-old Michael Mahl, and 16-year-old Ella Myers were students at the Aldo Leopold Charter School (ALCS) in … [Read more...]
Legal Issues Surrounding Air Disasters
The Montreal Convention The Montreal Convention, officially known as the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, is an international treaty adopted in 1999 by nearly 200 nation states. Along with other sources of law, it governs litigation between airlines and victims of air disasters. If you or your loved … [Read more...]
Planes Collide at San Diego Air Field
By Greg Kaminsky, Staff Writer A lawsuit has been filed in San Diego Superior Court after a mid air collision between two planes resulted in multiple fatalities. Michael Copeland, a Qualcomm executive, was piloting a Cessna carrying four others when it collided with a Saberliner jet near Brown Field Municipal Airport. The lawsuit names the air … [Read more...]
Southwest Airlines Sued By Man Injured In 2013 Crash Landing
A New York man has filed a negligence lawsuit against Southwest Airlines after suffering injuries from a crash landing that happened in 2013 at LaGuardia Airport, when the Boeing 737 plane’s nose collided with the runway due to pilot error. Kenneth Kochman, a 57-year-old chiropractor, was aboard the plane as a passenger when pilot error led to … [Read more...]
Ohio Plane Crash
Recruitment Stunt by Case Western University Fraternity Results in Plane Crash, Wrongful Death Suit The parents of a Case Western University student have sued several parties they are claiming were responsible in their son’s wrongful death. 18-year-old Abraham Pishevar, along with three others, was killed in a plane crash on August 25, 2014, during … [Read more...]
