Selected Aviation Verdicts and Settlements

The firm has obtained substantial jury verdicts and settlements in aviation accident litigation involving commercial airlines, general aviation aircraft, and military and civilian helicopters. The matters summarized below reflect a range of aircraft product liability, maintenance, operational, and systems-related cases.

Every aviation accident case turns on its own facts, governing law, and evidentiary record. The results listed here are provided for informational purposes and do not predict or guarantee outcomes in future matters.

Representative Results

• $56,000,000 — Death of a pilot arising from loss of directional control of a transport-category aircraft
• $42,500,000 — Single-engine aircraft crash following in-flight engine power loss
• $33,000,000 — Military helicopter crash
• $17,250,000 — Passenger injuries in civilian helicopter crash
• $17,200,000 — Serious injuries resulting from helicopter crash
• $15,000,000 — Passenger injuries in military helicopter crash
• $13,000,000 — Survivors of military helicopter crash
• $10,000,000 — Pilot fatality resulting from mid-air collision
• $9,504,500 — Helicopter pilot killed in mid-air collision with fixed-wing aircraft
• $9,400,125 — Passenger injuries in military helicopter crash
• $9,200,000 — Pilot injuries following maintenance-related helicopter crash
• $9,000,000 — Pilot injured in military helicopter crash
• $7,000,000 — Pilot fatality resulting from engine malfunction
• $5,950,000 — Fatalities resulting from helicopter structural failure
• $5,850,000 — Pilot and passenger killed in in-flight fire
• $4,750,000 — Passenger fatality in icing-related crash
• $4,250,000 — Fatalities resulting from weather-related crash
• $3,750,000 — Student pilot fatality in mountainous terrain impact
• $2,899,999 — Single-engine aircraft crash due to engine failure
• $2,450,000 — Passenger fatality in glider structural failure
• $2,350,000 — Passenger injuries resulting from engine failure
• $2,250,000 — Passenger injuries following takeoff power loss

These matters involved issues including aircraft design and certification, product defect, maintenance and inspection failures, operational error, weather conditions, structural integrity, and complex systems malfunction.