Wrongful Death Attorneys in Indiana Litigate Airplane Accidents
Experienced counsel handles private plane, airline and helicopter crash cases
If you have lost a loved one in the crash of a commercial airliner, business jet, turboprop or helicopter, statistics demonstrating how rarely such accidents occur are of little comfort. But you should be aware that, since aviation accidents are few and far between, most of the attorneys who have experience litigating these cases work as defense counsel for the airlines and plane manufacturers. If you’ve lost a loved one in a plane crash, you need an attorney with the experience and resources to take your case through trial to a verdict if necessary. For more than 30 years, Marshall P. Whalley & Associates, PC has represented next-of-kin in hard-fought wrongful death cases. We have a record of success against powerful insurance companies with a vested interest in limiting damage claims.
Understanding the causes of airplane accidents
Commercial airline crashes have reached a record low worldwide, while accidents involving business jets and turboprops are more than five times more frequent than those involving larger carriers. Sportsmen, sightseers and recreational flyers using turboprops are at much greater risk than commercial passengers. Common causes of aviation accidents include:
- Pilot error — Pilots are just as vulnerable as motorists to lapses in judgment, inattentiveness, fatigue, illness, and alcohol or drug consumption.
- Traffic controller error — Air traffic control is a notoriously stressful occupation, as a moment’s inattentiveness can mean disaster.
- Airline negligence — Federal regulations mandate safety protocols, but the airlines must implement them.
- Mechanical failure due to faulty maintenance — Keeping a plane flight-worthy is the responsibility of individual mechanics and the company as a whole.
- Mechanical failure due to a defective product — Designers and manufacturers are strictly liable for defective plane parts that cause crashes.
- Weather — Contemporary forecasting capabilities should enable pilots and airlines to make prudent judgments about whether to fly.
Determining the factors at play in your case requires extensive investigation of physical evidence, flight records, maintenance records and in-flight communications. As your airplane accident lawyers, we are committed to constructing the most thorough case possible from the totality of the evidence. As with cases of auto accident injuries and wrongful death, we make a detailed assessment of your losses, presenting your case persuasively to maximize your damage award.
Contact experienced accident attorneys for your aviation accident case
Marshall P. Whalley & Associates, PC is available to litigate airplane accident. For a free consultation and case evaluation, call 219.769.2900 or contact our Crown Point office online.
