California Injury Lawyers Blog

Three years after a US Marine Corps jet crashed into a San Diego home and killed four people from the same family, their loved ones have been awarded a $17.8 million California airplane crash award for their wrongful death. The relatives had initially sought $56 million from the US government.

The tragic California aviation accident happened on December 8, 2008, when an F/A-18 Hornet crashed into a home on its way to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. That structure and the unoccupied home next to it were destroyed. Killed in the airplane collision were Don Yoon's 15-month-old daughter Grace, his nearly 2-month-old infant Rachel, his wife Young Mi Moon, and her mom Suk Im Kim.

The pilot had tried to guide the plane away from the family's home but to no avail. He was, however, able to safely eject himself from the jet.

Following the Southern California plane crash, the Marine Corps fired four officers and disciplined nine Marines after a probe finding that poor decisions by the pilot and ground controllers, as well as deferred maintenance, contributed to the accident.

The jet was flown 146 times even after mechanics noticed there were problems with the right engine that forced the plane to depend on the left engine during emergencies. Maintenance rules don't mandate that this issue has to be fixed right away, but eventually, the lack of repair played a role in causing the plane crash. Also, according to the investigation, squadron officers used "inaccurate" information and assumptions that were wrong when directing the plane to the Miramar base.

"Plane crashes often are detrimental to those in the aircraft and/or on the ground." Said Howard Law, PC Partner and Anaheim personal injury lawyer Vincent Howard. "There may be a way to obtain compensation from all liable parties but you won't know how to go about this unless you explore your legal options."

Common causes of aviation accidents:
• Poor weather
• Faulty maintenance
• Air controller mistakes
• Parts defects
• Pilot mistakes
• Mechanical failure
• Engine malfunction
• Electrical problems
• Gas leak
• Fuel starvation
• Mid-air crashes

"You want to work with an Orange County, California aviation accident law firm that understands the nature of plane crashes and knows how to prove that negligence caused your personal injury or a loved one's wrongful death," said Anaheim plane crash lawyer Vincent Howard.

Obtaining Orange County, California wrongful death recovery won't bring your loved one back but it can allow you to hold the other party accountable in civil court.

Judge awards $17.8 million to family of military jet crash victims, CNN, December 28, 2011

Gov't to pay $17.8m for military jet crash, ABC News/AP, December 28, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Recent Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County Plane Crashes Kill Eight, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 20, 2011

Former Senator Ted Stevens Killed in Plane Accident, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 10, 2011

Airplane Accident: IRS Employee's Widow Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit after Pilot Crashes Plane Into Office Building, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 27, 2010

Continue reading "Federal Judge Awards $17.8M California Aviation Accident Award to Family by Military Jet " »

Three people were killed today in a fiery San Bernardino County plane crash. The Cessna 210, had taken off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California before dropping into a hillside close to Barstow-Daggett Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the San Bernardino County, aviation accident.

It was just five days ago that another plane crash, this one at the Long Beach Airport, killed five people. The victims were Mark Llewllyn Bixby, Thomas Fay Dan, Jeffrey Albert Berger, Kenneth Earl Cruz, and Bruce Michael Krall, who had been flying the plane. One passenger, Mike Jensen, survived the crash with critical injuries. He is expected to recover.

The twin-engine plane crashed shortly after take off as it dove into an airfield. The NTSB and the FAA are also looking into the Long Beach aviation accident.

California Aviation Accidents
To determine liability in a California plane crash, you should work with an experienced Los Angeles County plane crash lawyer that will know how to figure out who should be held liable, how to best prove damages, and what the grounds are for negligence. Depending on the type of plane and the cause(s) of the California aviation accident, possible liable parties can include the:

• Plane manufacturer
• The pilot
• Airport control workers
• Plane part supplier
• Plane charter companies
• FAA or other governing bodies
• Plane owner
• Airline

Plane crashes usually result in fatalities. When there are survivors, the injuries are generally serious and likely catastrophic. You should explore your legal options as soon as possible. California plane crash cases can be complex and a lot of work will need to be done to help you obtain the maximum recovery owed.

Plane crash near Southern Calif. airport kills 3, FoxNews, March 20, 2011

All five victims of Long Beach plane crash now identified; lone survivor still in critical condition, Los Angeles TImes, March 17, 2011

Related Web Resources:
FAA

NTSB

Former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens has died in a plane crash. The aviation accident took place on Monday evening close to a small fishing town on Bristol Bay. Four other plane passengers were also killed. The cause of the private plane accident is not yet known. Former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe and his son Kevin were among the four that survivors. The private plane was reportedly headed to a luxury fishing lodge belonging to General Communications, Inc., a local telecom company.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane, a 1957 DeHavilland DHC-3T, which is owned by GCI, took off at 2pm on Monday and was not required to file a flight plan. Weather condition grew poor however, and the small plane crashed at around 7pm. Rain and fog also hampered search efforts, and rescuers were not able to land close to the wreckage, which was on a 40-degree mountain slope, until this morning.

With 41 years in the US Senate, Stevens was the longest-serving Republican. He lost his seat in 2008 after he was convicted of corruption charges. However, the conviction was later set aside because of prosecutorial misconduct. This was not the first plane crash that the 86-year-old former politician had been involved in. Steven survived an aviation accident in 1978 that claimed the life of his former wife Anne. Stevens leaves behind his wife Catherine and six children.

Anaheim Plane Crashes
Our Anaheim aviation accident lawyers know how devastating it is to lose someone you love in an Orange County, California plane crash. The National Transportation Safety Board says that plane passengers have a 50 times greater chance of dying in a private aircraft than on a commercial flight--this risk is especially high in California, which was where 182 of the 1,670 plane accidents that happened in 2005 took place.

Patron of Alaska dies in air crash, Los Angeles Times, August 10, 2010

Alaska's terrain, weather complicates flying, searching, CNN, August 10, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Ted Stevens Biography, AP, August 10, 2010

Plane Accidents Overview, Justia

The widow of Vernon Hunter is has filed a wrongful death lawsuit over the tragic plane crash that claimed his life. Hunter, 68, was in the seven-story building that Andrew Joseph Stack III flew into on February 18.

Nearly 200 Internal Revenue employees worked in the building, and Hunter was one of them. Police say that Stack set his house on fire before embarking on the tragic plane trip. On his Web site, he left a 3,000-word message attacking the federal government, including the IRS.

Autopsy results indicate that Hunter died from conflagration injuries. His death was ruled a homicide. The building that Stack's plane struck sustained serious damage.

The plaintiff, Valerie Hunter, originally had named Stack's widow, Sheryl Mann Stack, as a defendant in the airplane accident lawsuit. However, KVUE.com is reporting that Sheryl's name has been removed from the complaint. The lawsuit originally argued that Stack's widow should have warned that her husband might be a danger to others.

The wrongful death complaint contends that Hunter's family should be compensated for damages because Stack was negligent when he endangered the victim's life. The pilot was legally required to fly his aircraft at 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle, which he failed to do.

Orange County, California Aviation Accidents
While commercial flights undoubtedly result in more fatalities, the National Transportation Safety Board reports that passengers riding in private planes have a 50 times greater fatality risk. A significant number of these private plane crashes occur in the state of California.

There are specific state and federal laws that govern aviation accidents, and there may be multiple parties, parties from out of state, including individuals and entities that should be held liable. Pilot error, aircraft malfunction, FAA regulation violations, air traffic controller mistakes, and maintenance mistakes are just some of the common causes of aviation accidents.

Attorney: Stack widow being removed from lawsuit, KVUE, February 25, 2010

Widow of Austin Plane Crash Victim Sues Pilot's Widow, WIBW/CNN, February 28, 2010

Related Web Resources:
National Transportation Safety Board

PlaneCrashInfo.com

Continue reading "Airplane Accident: IRS Employee's Widow Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit after Pilot Crashes Plane Into Office Building" »

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its preliminary report about the deadly single-engine plane crash that occurred on Santa Catalina Island in Orange County, California last week. The fatal aviation killed everyone onboard. The victims are pilot Mark Hogland, who is from Dana Point and owned the SkyBlue USA air-touring company, and passengers Marshall Goldberg and Amy Marie Judd. Orange County officials say the two passengers had hired the air-touring company to take them to Catalina and the deadly aviation accident happened upon their return to the John Wayne Airport.

According to data recorder information, the small plane left Catalina's Airport in the Sky and had risen to about 800 feet when it suddenly fell over 200 feet before crashing in a mountainous area and catching fire. No one reported the aircraft accident, which occurred around 4:30 in the afternoon until Hogland's fiancé contacted authorities at around 10:30pm to report that his plane was missing. Orange County and Los Angeles officials and the Coast Guard searched the waters around Catalina overnight by air and sea. The plane wreckage was found the next day. 

The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB will keep investigating the plane crash to determine what caused it. FAA records indicate that Hogland had his certification as a private pilot but it is unclear whether he had a commercial license, which he would have needed if he wanted to fly for hire. 

Some 20 people have died in 8 plane accidents while either leaving or arriving at Airport in the Sky over the last 10 years. In October 2008, an elderly couple and a friend of theirs died when the plane they were in crashed as it was leaving the island's airport.

Aviation Accidents

Plane crashes usually result in catastrophic injuries and deaths. Common causes of plane crashes include:

• Defective equipment

• Pilot error

• Flight crew mistakes

• Defectively designed aircraft

• FAA violations

• NTSB regulation violations

• Federal Air Traffic Controller negligence

• Faulty maintenance

Report: Plane climbed to 800 feet before crashing on Catalina, OC Register, February 12, 2009

Three killed in Catalina plane crash, Los Angeles Times, February 6, 2009

Family ID's Victims in Catalina Plane Crash, KTLA.com, October 28, 2008 

Related Web Resources:

National Transportation Safety Board

Federal Aviation Administration

Continue reading "Catalina Island Plane Crash that Left Three People Dead Rose 800 Feet Before Dropping, says NTSB " »