A Texas husband and wife have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a helicopter company and pilot after their son died in a crash, alleging that the company’s negligence led to his death.

The plaintiffs, Jerry and Nancy C., allege that their son, New York resident Trevor C., was wrongfully killed in a helicopter crash due to the negligence of Liberty Helicopters, a helicopter company based out of the state of New York.

According to the wrongful death lawsuit, Trevor was a passenger going on a photography tour in a helicopter owned by Liberty Helicopters when it crashed on March 11, 2018 into the East River off Manhattan, New York. Trevor was unable to escape his harness, and he ultimately drowned.

The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that the use of harnesses that had no means of escape in case of emergency was both negligent and reckless, endangering passengers and leading to Trevor’s death.

“Liberty Helicopters was grossly negligent and reckless in securing passengers to the helicopter with harnesses attached from the back by a metal ring known as a carabiner, which is a death trap and does not permit them to reach and activate release mechanisms on their own,” states the wrongful death lawsuit.

According to the plaintiffs, the harness requires being cut with a knife, but this was not accessible during the crash. This was not the only allegedly negligent action (or inaction) by Liberty Helicopters that the wrongful death lawsuit cites. Indeed, the plaintiffs also allege that the company failed to maintain inflatable pontoons attached to the helicopter. Had these emergency floats deployed as they should have, plaintiffs claim, the helicopter would have been prevented from tipping over once it hit the water.

According to the wrongful death lawsuit, filed against both the helicopter company and the pilot, Liberty Helicopters had a duty to maintain a safe helicopter tour, and the pilot was both “negligent” and “careless” in his piloting, leading to Trevor’s death. The wrongful death lawsuit is holding the New York company liable for the actions of the pilot.

An attorney for the plaintiffs told Law360, “The family wants this helicopter operator to be held fully accountable for their son’s death and to cease and desist this terribly unsafe open-door flight operation. It is their strongest desire that this should never happen again.”

Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit

It is common for a personal injury lawsuit to be filed over car accident injuries and other negligence claims like slip and falls, dog bites, medical malpractice, work injuries, and many others. Personal injury claims rest on the concept of negligence—that is, the idea that another party’s negligence or carelessness led directly to your injuries.

If you or someone you love have suffered or died due to negligence, such as in a car or aircraft crash, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. Filing a personal injury lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by injuries, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Helicopter Accident Wrongful Death Lawsuit is Cadigan, et al. v. Liberty Helicopters Inc., et al., Case No. 152286/2018, in the
Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York.