Aviation Accident Litigation Since 1968
Katzman, Lampert & Stoll’s sole focus is aviation accident litigation. The firm represents individuals and families affected by aircraft accidents in the United States and abroad, including commercial airline disasters, general aviation crashes, and complex aircraft product liability matters.
National Aviation Litigation Practice
Aviation accident cases often involve multiple parties, parallel government investigations, and complex technical and regulatory questions. Katzman, Lampert & Stoll’s practice is national in scope and includes litigation in federal and state courts, including matters coordinated across jurisdictions.
The firm’s work includes claims involving airlines and charter operators, aircraft and component manufacturers, maintenance and repair organizations, and other entities whose actions may bear on accident causation and responsibility.
Representative Aviation Matters
The firm has represented clients in many of the most significant aviation disasters of the past several decades, including:
- Northwest Airlines Flight 255 – Detroit, Michigan
- Pan Am Flight 103 – Lockerbie, Scotland
- Continental Airlines Flight 1713 – Denver, Colorado
- United Airlines Flight 811 – Pacific Ocean
- United Airlines Flight 585 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
- TWA Flight 800 – Atlantic Ocean
- Korean Airlines Flight 801 – Guam
- American Eagle Flight 3379 – Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
- United Airlines Flight 232 – Sioux City, Iowa
- USAir Flight 427 – near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Comair Flight 3272 – Detroit, Michigan
- Comair Flight 5191 – Lexington, Kentucky
The firm also represented the flight crew of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that crashed near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In addition to major commercial airline disasters, the practice includes extensive experience in general aviation accident litigation.
Investigation Informed by Aviation Experience
Aviation cases turn on facts, data, and disciplined reconstruction. The firm maintains in-house investigative capability as part of its aviation practice. All three partners are certificated pilots, and the firm’s aviation resources support direct site access and operational assessment when appropriate.
In prior Boeing 737 litigation involving United 585 and USAir 427, the firm conducted component-level examination of a rudder power control unit and developed a test apparatus to evaluate hydraulic performance as part of its analysis.
Practice Attributes
- Sole aviation litigation focus
- Partners are licensed pilots
- In-house investigative capability
- National federal court experience
Aircraft Product Liability and Technical Litigation
The firm has litigated product liability cases involving aircraft design, certification, and manufacturing issues. Matters have included claims involving airframe de-icing systems, rudder control systems, runaway trim events, structural failures, autopilot malfunctions, engine failures, fly-by-wire systems, and augmented flight control systems.
The practice also encompasses cases involving maintenance deficiencies, inspection failures, and operational error in challenging flight conditions.
Federal Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation
Preemption questions can affect whether, and under what standards, aviation product liability claims proceed under state law. Members of the firm have litigated federal preemption issues in aviation matters in federal appellate courts, including proceedings before the United States Supreme Court addressing statutory interpretation and the scope of aviation preemption doctrine.
Aviation Accident Litigation
Regulatory framework, NTSB process interaction, product liability and jurisdiction considerations.
For Families
Clear guidance for families and survivors following an aviation accident, including wrongful death considerations and next steps.
Aviation Insights
Neutral analysis of aviation investigations and litigation frameworks, designed to support clarity and topical authority.
Contact
For inquiries related to an aviation accident matter, you may contact the firm directly. Communications are handled confidentially.
Featured Aviation Insights
Bangor Challenger 650 Takeoff Incident in Low Visibility
Overview of the Incident Public reporting describes a Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet crashing while departing Bangor International Airport (BGR) in Bangor, Maine, amid winter storm conditions in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...
UPS Plane Crash Near Louisville Kills at Least 12
Overview of the Incident Public reporting states that UPS Flight 2976, a UPS Airlines-operated McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, crashed near Louisville International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, shortly after takeoff. The Federal Aviation...
Delta Plane Crash at Toronto Pearson Airport Leaves 18 Injured
Overview of the Incident On February 17, 2025, Delta Air Lines flight DL4819, operated by Endeavor Air, overturned upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario. The aircraft was a Bombardier CRJ-900 that had departed from Minneapolis and...
MICHIGAN OFFICE
Katzman Lampert & Stoll
950 West University Dr #101
Rochester, MI 48307
E-mail: DKatzman@klm-law.com
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Phone: (248) 258-4800
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Katzman Lampert & Stoll
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Broomfield, CO 80021
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Toll-Free: (866) 309-6097
Phone: (303) 465-3663
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Katzman Lampert & Stoll
121 N. Wayne Ave. # 205
Wayne, PA 19087
E-mail: BStoll@klm-law.com
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Toll-Free: (866) 309-6097
Phone: (610) 686-9686
Fax: (610) 686-9687
