Lawsuits Filed After Plane Crashes

Lexington, KYPlane crashes can be the result of a number of problems. Sometimes the crash is truly an accident and not the fault of any person or organization. However, sometimes accidents are caused by the actions of a person or organization, including pilot error, mechanical problems, negligence, poor construction or maintenance of the aircraft, or miscommunication between the pilot and the airport control tower.

[Lawsuits] have been filed against a number of people and organizations, including the FAA, individual pilots and co-pilots, plane manufacturers and air traffic controllers, alleging that their errors resulted in death or injury to airplane passengers.

In one lawsuit, the family of three people who died in a plane crash blames the FAA for the tragedy. The plane crashed two years ago while trying to land at an airport. The FAA ruled that bad weather and pilot error caused the crash; however, the family believes that an air traffic controller gave the pilot poor information. According to the family's attorney, the air traffic controller brought the plane in too early and too high, making it impossible for the plane to land at the airport safely. The family seeks over $10 million in its lawsuit.

Meanwhile the first of numerous lawsuits against Boeing has been filed in the wake of a plane crash in Thailand. Ninety people died when Thai budget airline One-Two-Go hit an embankment and burst into flames on September 16, 2007. Survivors and relatives of the victims will be represented in the lawsuits, which seek hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation. The suit was filed shortly after the accident so that evidence would be properly preserved. Included among the dead and injured were citizens from the United States, Canada, Germany, France and Britain.

A lawsuit has also been filed against the co-pilot of Comair Flight 5191, which crashed on August 27, 2006 after it took off from the wrong runway. The suit alleges the co-pilot, who was also the only survivor of the crash, acted with gross negligence and recklessness in using the wrong runway for the take off. The suit was filed on behalf of the estate of one of the victims who died in the crash.

Lawsuits that were filed after the September 11 terrorist attacks are also making their way through the courts. The lawsuits were filed against airlines, security companies and airline manufacturers by the families of victims who were aboard the planes that crashed that day. Some of the 95 original lawsuits have been settled, with 41 lawsuits remaining. A trial date was set for September 24 and October 15.

Plane crashes often change lives forever and they can happen in an instant. In situations where a person or organization has caused injury or loss of life to airplane passengers, lawsuits can be filed to recover medical expenses, loss of work, loss of enjoyment of life and other damages.