The deck is stacked against aviation accident victims. Get the experienced legal help you deserve.
Aircraft crashes are devastating, frequently resulting in severe injury and death. Complicating matters, pilots of small aircraft often get assigned the blame for the crash, even in cases where faulty manufacturing, poor maintenance, or other issues outside the pilot’s control were the true culprits. This can leave injury victims and grieving families without the fair compensation they deserve.
Crosley Law can help. Our team of helicopter and airplane accident lawyers, investigators, and experts has what it takes to hold negligent aviation companies, aircraft manufacturers, pilots, and other professionals accountable for their negligence.
The San Antonio aviation accident attorneys at Crosley Law use careful legal and factual analysis, aggressive litigation strategies, and cutting-edge technology to tackle their clients’ aviation accident lawsuits. We also offer a free consultation and no-fee policy. If you need help, contact us by today by completing our online form or calling to schedule a free case evaluation with an attorney.
While it’s true that commercial aviation accidents are exceedingly rare (though not unheard of), it’s important to understand that the vast majority of airplanes in Texas (and nationwide) fall into the category of single-engine general aircraft.
Most Texas aviation accidents involve smaller “general aviation” airplanes and helicopters. Statistically speaking, the risk of a catastrophic aviation accidents is much higher with smaller, non-commercial aircraft. According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, in 2022 there were 967 accidents nationwide involving non-commercial fixed wing aircraft, resulting in 258 fatalities (and many other serious injuries). There were also 83 non-commercial helicopter accidents resulting in 28 fatalities.
Texas has a long and storied history with the aerospace and aviation industries. Our state ranks second in the U.S. for its number of aircraft, just behind California. Further, 75% of transportation-related injuries on offshore oil rigs involve helicopters.
Aviation crashes have many causes. While some factors, like weather, are out of our control, many wrecks involve error and poor decisions. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other sources, some of the most common causes of airplane and helicopter crashes include:
Again, commercial aviation accidents tend to be exceedingly rare. However, small non-commercial and private operators are statistically more likely to have issues such as poor maintenance or inexperienced pilots.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates all aviation accidents and makes a determination about the causes and responsible parties. Typically, the NTSB will produce an initial report within a few weeks or months of the crash, then a comprehensive final report after 1-2 years of investigation.
By law, aircraft and helicopter manufacturers, as well as airlines, are allowed to participate in the NTSB investigation. However, victims and their attorneys are excluded from the NTSB investigation. Manufacturers and airlines often influence the NTSB in these investigations, which can lead to a determination that the accident was not the manufacturer or airline’s fault.
Because of this clear conflict of interest, we strongly recommend working with an aviation accident lawyer who has your best interests at heart and can review the evidence as well as perform an independent investigation.
For example, several years ago we represented the family of a 23-year-old Air Force Academy graduate who was killed after a crash (and subsequent aircraft fire) during flight training through a private flight school. The NTSB investigation assigned 100% of the blame to the flight instructor. However, our investigation revealed that a design defect in the fuel system contributed to the severity of the fire that ultimately killed the student. We filed an aviation accident lawsuit and ultimately were able to negotiate settlements from both the flight school and the airline manufacturer, which had not been blamed in the NTSB report.
To understand the exact causes of you or your loved one’s aviation crash, your airplane accident attorney needs to take a comprehensive approach, investigating every potential cause and party that may have contributed to the wreck. This includes the pilot, air traffic controllers, crew members, aircraft manufacturers, mechanics, and aviation companies.
Investigating aviation accidents requires substantial technical expertise. Modern aircraft are sophisticated machines with numerous sensors, tracking systems, and “black boxes” that collect essential data throughout a flight. If you don’t know how to preserve and interpret this data, you may discover that you’re wrongly blamed for the crash.
Furthermore, in Texas, private aircraft do not have to carry liability insurance. However, many businesses that operate airplanes and helicopters do have some degree of insurance coverage. Identifying all relevant insurance policies is just one of many challenges airplane crash victims face.
At Crosley Law, we know firsthand that “human error” isn’t always the cause (or only cause) of a victim’s severe or fatal injuries. We work closely with engineers, accident reconstructionists, and other aviation experts to identify the precise causes of our clients’ crashes and injuries. Then, we build cutting-edge trial presentations that translate these complicated concepts into plain English, educating the jury about our clients’ losses and current situations.
Calculating an aviation accident victim’s damages is a science, especially if the claim involves catastrophic injuries or a wrongful death. Depending on you and your family’s unique circumstances, you may be able to recover compensation for many of your losses, including:
When you work with an experienced aviation accident lawyer with Crosley Law, we’ll help you understand the real value of your injury claims. We frequently consult with experts who help us anticipate survivors’ future medical needs and how their injuries will impact them over a lifetime.
Unlike the insurance company, who will try to minimize your claims’ value, our legal team will provide you with honest, practical advice. Just as importantly, we’re not afraid to take an injury case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a reasonable settlement.
Our aviation accident lawyers go the extra mile to make wrongs right and get the justice our clients deserve. Have a case you need help with? Call us today.