Helicopter Accidents
The Law Offices of Sterns & Walker has handled many helicopter or "rotary wing" accidents and obtained settlements and verdicts in California and around the world.
Hundreds of helicopter accidents occur each year in the U.S. alone. Helicopter crashes are much more frequent than airplane crashes and can be the result of a range of causes, such as:
- Pilot error
- Defective equipment, such as rotor blade failure
- Lack of maintenance
- Defective design
- Poor helipad design
- Lack of occupant protection (crashworthiness)
- Weather conditions
- Air or ground obstruction
- Excessive loads
- Excessive hours on the equipment
- Air traffic controller error
- Inexperienced/poorly-trained pilot
- Poorly-trained ground mechanics
- Rebuilt or bogus aftermarket parts
In order to determine liability in the event of a helicopter accident, it is very critical to conduct a thorough investigation of the crash to determine its cause. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct an investigation, but can take many months or up to a year to be issued. Meanwhile, the timeframe within which to file a lawsuit (statute of limitations) is narrowing, and evidence of the crash may be lost, mislaid, or destroyed. When it is finally issued, the NTSB report will be a mixture of fact and opinion, and as a result may not be admissible as evidence.
Whether the cause of the crash is negligence on the part of the owner, operator, pilot, mechanic, or air traffic controller, or a products liability matter based on defective design or manufacture, the responsible party is liable for the personal injuries or wrongful deaths that result. To pursue a claim in a helicopter accident which has caused serious personal injury or wrongful death, contact the Law Offices of Sterns & Walker today.
