A V I A T
I O N L A W
A I R C R A F T
D I S A S T E R
S
The Haggard Law Firm, P.A.,
ranks among the foremost firms practicing aviation law in the Southeastern
United States.
Members of our firm have represented
more than 750 crash victims and their families in North, Central and South
America and the Caribbean, including many significant air tragedies in
recent history: the 1972 Eastern Airlines crash in the Florida Everglades,
the 1982 Pan American crash in New Orleans, the 1982 Air Florida crash
in Washington, D.C., the 1995 American Airlines crash in Cali, Colombia,
the 1996 ValuJet crash in Miami, and on behalf of the Ecuadorian government,
the 1996 cargo plane crash in Manta, Ecuador.
Over the past ten years, Jeannete
Lewis has represented several private, general aviation crash victims
and their families in Florida including: the 2001 crash of local NBC channel
WTVJ's "Sky 6" chopper in Miami; 1999 crash of an OH-6A military
helicopter in Ft. Myers; the 1998 crash of an Aero Commander in Boca Raton;
the 1996 of a Cessna 402A in Miami; the 1997 crash of a Mooney in Tallahassee;
the 1996 crash of a Cessna P210 in Key West; and the 1994 crash of a Beech
Baron in Lakeland, Florida.
Because we have seen the impact
that catastrophic air disasters have on individuals and families, we feel
a great responsibility to improve air safety standards both through new
legislation and education. Robert Parks served as Chairman of the American
Bar Association's Forum on Air and Space Law from 1990-92. In 1996, he
was named Chairman of the Florida Bar’s first Bar-sanctioned certification
program in aviation law, in which Mr. Parks is Board Certified. Both Robert
Parks and Jeannete Lewis have published articles and have spoken in the
field of aviation law.
Following is a brief listing
of the aviation cases our firm has handled. For additional aviation and
air disaster cases, please visit our Notable
Aviation Cases page on this website.
PIERARD v. AEROSPATIALE,
et al
$8.3 Million – Verdict
Helicopter crash. Suit by pilot of helicopter against manufacturer for
serious injuries sustained in crash caused by defect in fuel filter design.
Verdict was reduced to $6 million. The case settled on appeal.
DOE v. ROE
$5 Million - Settlement
Airplane crash. Plaintiff was a passenger in a small aircraft in North
Carolina flying back from a job interview arranged by defendant company.
Defendant pilot failed to lower landing gear and the plane skidded down
a 60-foot embankment. Plaintiff was rendered a partial hemiplegic.
WEBER v. SLINGSBY AVIATION
$4 Million – Verdict
Wrongful death / Plane crash. The plaintiff, a cadet at the United States
Air Force Academy, and his instructor pilot were killed during a pilot
screening mission after the Slingsby T-3A Firefly aerobatic aircraft they
were flying experienced mechanical failure causing the plane to crash.
The crash was the direct result of poor design and product defect. The
award was upheld on appeal.
SANZETENEA/MERCADO/FLORES
v. RAM
$3.9 Million – Settlement
Airplane Crash / Negligence. Just after a well-executed take-off, a Cessna
340 aircraft crashed in Bolivia due to loss of power to the left engine.
The plane’s left wingtip impacted the ground causing the injuries
and deaths of the plaintiffs, which include the pilot. The engine failure
was a result of a nut in the fuel manifold holding the diaphragm being
loose, allowing fuel to leak. The defendant company was found negligent
because they were responsible for the overhaul and maintenance of the
engine that failed.
CARSON v. McDONNELL
DOUGLAS HELICOPTER CORPORATION
$2.15 Million - Settlement
Product Liability / Helicopter Crash. A 1969 Hughes OH-6A Army surplus
helicopter sold to the Lee County Sheriff's Department crashed into the
roof of a building in Ft. Myers seriously injuring its pilot. The pilot
lost control the helicopter when the lateral control rod, a flight critical
component, separated from its rod end due to fretting of the rod's aluminum
threads. In 1996 the helicopter and its control rods had been refurbished
by a third party and modified pursuant to a Service Notice published by
McDonnell Douglas in 1989. Plaintiffs alleged that the nature of the modification
exacerbated the tendency of the threads in the joint to fret (wear away).
Plaintiffs alleged that this defective modification caused the component
separation and resulting crash.
MORGAN v. UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
$1.9 Million – Settlement
Airplane crash. Action on behalf of surviving spouse of a pilot killed
in a single engine general aviation aircraft in Tallahassee, Florida.
The crash was an alleged result of the negligent administration of air
traffic control services and a failed engine.
JOHN DOE v. X AIRLINES
$1.6 Million – Settlement
Wrongful death. Action on behalf of decedent who was killed in fatal plane
crash. Decedent’s survivors included her husband, her infant daughter
and her parents, who alleged pain and suffering, loss of support and loss
of parental guidance.
SADOWSKI v. STATE OF
FLORIDA
$1.6 Million – Verdict / Claims Bill
Aviation/wrongful death. Suit was filed for the wrongful death of Secretary
of the Florida Department of Community Affairs, who was killed in a state-owned-and-operated
plane on his way to deliver a speech. The case involved winning significant
workers’ compensation and liability issues against the state. Jury
verdict of $1 million was increased to $1.6 million in a claims bill with
legislation.
WOODS v. NOVA COMPANIES
BELIZE
$1.4 Million – Settlement
Airplane crash. Plaintiff, a passenger when Defendant’s aircraft
crashed in Costa Rica, sustained multiple injuries and was badly burned
over most of his body, leaving disfiguring scars.
DOCTOR v. PARDUE &
EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
$1.25 Million – Verdict
Airplane crash. Jury found that Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
and an air show flight leader were partially liable for a plane crash
that occurred at the EAA’s “AirVenture” Air Show in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1999. The crash left Laird “Lad” Doctor,
a pilot from Dallas, Texas, with significant spinal cord damage rendering
him to live the rest of his life as a quadriplegic.
MINTZ v. UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
$1.1 Million – Settlement
Airplane crash. The plaintiff and her husband were killed in an airplane
crash when the plaintiff’s husband, who was navigating the plane,
encountered adverse weather conditions and lost control of his Aero Commander
aircraft. The air traffic controller which handled the traffic in and
out of the airport where the plaintiff took off, did not inform the plaintiff
of the adverse weather conditions along the route of flight.
PIERCE v. XYZ COMPANY
$1.1 Million - Settlement
Helicopter Crash. The plaintiff was a well-respected news cameraman/ cinematographer
who died when the helicopter he was riding in to cover a news story by
air crashed to the ground.
SHEPHERD v. POMPANO
AIR CENTER
$1.1 Million - Settlement
Air crash. Pilot died in Louisiana crash of Russian-mode aerobatic Sukhoi
aircraft after elevator control system disconnected in flight, causing
plane to plummet several thousand feet. Defendant assembled, equipped
and sold the aircraft.
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Trying Foreign Cases In
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Bob Parks Message As President Of IATL | Site Map
NOTE: A person should base his or her choice
of attorney on more than just a website, individual cases mentioned, or dollar amounts
obtained. We welcome you to check our references with other lawyers and judges in this
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