Maison Law represents the victims of California helicopter accidents and their families. We assist surviving victims in getting the support they need to make a full recovery. Our compassionate California Helicopter Accident Lawyers also work to earn benefits for families who have lost a loved one in a tragic air disaster.
Please contact us after an accident involving a helicopter for a free, no-obligation consultation for you and your family. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold an aviation company fully liable.
Helicopter Accident Dangers in California
California is a beautiful place and many people look for unique ways to see the state. They may charter a helicopter tour of the coast or the mountains to get a bird’s eye view.
Those flights are thrilling, but sadly, there are helicopter trips that end in tragedy each year. Passengers on helicopters can be lost in devastating crashes.
General Aviation News found that there were approximately 94 helicopter crashes in the U.S. in 2020. Those accidents tragically claimed at least 35 lives. Those sad numbers were slightly down from the year before. In 2019, there were an estimated 121 helicopter crashes in the country, with 51 fatalities recorded.
Victims can also suffer less life-threatening, but painful consequences of injuries caused by unsecured items inside helicopters or while crossing an airfield to board. These dangers are often caused by mistakes made by pilots or by tour company employees. This negligence makes it possible for victims and their families to file personal injury claims to demand support after a crash.
Liability insurance companies are there to help aviation accident victims and close relatives recover after a crash, but they don’t usually make it easy. A California Helicopter Accident Lawyer can be the key to proving a helicopter owner or operator was to blame for an accident. This evidence demonstrates how an owner or operator of a helicopter should be responsible for recovery costs or the support of the family after a loved one has been lost.
What Causes California Helicopter Accidents?
Helicopter pilots, owners, and transportation companies all owe their clients and customers a “duty of care” under California Law. They must act for the safety of their guests and passengers. Pilots and operators must make reasonable decisions that serve to keep potential passengers safe.
Flights must be called off if there are dangers on the horizon. When they don’t protect the wellbeing of customers, they can be held liable for the harm that follows. These are just a few of the careless errors that can result in a devastating helicopter accident:
- Pilot Error – Pilots can lose track of their elevation and make other mental errors. Pilots can decide to land in unsafe areas. A pilot may be fatigued or intoxicated and truly unfit to be trusted with the responsibilities of flying.
- Mechanical Failure – Helicopter maintenance that’s been put off may result in a midair breakdown or failure of vital systems. A manufacturing defect might suddenly cause a loss of main rotor control. Recalls on defective parts may be ignored until it’s too late.
- Weather Conditions – Mother nature may be to blame for a crash, but it’s often a question of whether a helicopter pilot should have known the risks and called off the flight.
When these problems arise, disastrous helicopter crashes might be the result. But other hazards can lead to injuries for passengers and tour group customers.
- Emergency landings or a rough landing could lead to injuries for everyone inside.
- A trip-and-fall hazard left out at a helipad or airport.
- Cuts or punctures from equipment or safety devices inside the helicopter.
- Injuries during training at a helicopter flight school.
- Patients sent to local hospitals in life-flight helicopters can suffer more harm due to a mistake by a hospital and flight crew. This could be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Injured victims should be getting the best care available, without thought to the cost of medical treatment. Families who tragically lose a loved one in a crash shouldn’t be left facing a financial crisis after losing a loved one’s care and financial support in the years to come. A California helicopter accident lawyer fully investigates helicopter accidents with the help of aviation experts and healthcare providers to make sure victims and their families receive the full support they require.
Who Is Responsible for a Helicopter Crash in California?
Your lawyer will be identifying every party that contributed to a devastating helicopter crash or any other injury resulting from your accident.
This is a crucial task because some liability insurance has limits on the support it provides to victims and their close relatives. Victims can end up not getting insurance settlements that cover all of their hospital invoices. The more parties that you can hold responsible for your injury or loss, the more insurance policies you might be able to draw from to pay your bills and support you while you are out of work.
Your lawyer will be gathering evidence and examining the roles of these parties and holding everyone accountable that can be proven liable. Those at-fault parties may include:
- Pilots
- Air Traffic Controllers
- Aircraft owners
- Recreational and Tour Companies
- Helicopter Manufacturers
- Helipad and Airport Owners
A helicopter aviation company would be held accountable for numerous reasons. They are completely responsible for the conduct of their employees, including pilots, ground crewmembers, and other workers.
A helicopter business could be liable for a crash if a pilot wasn’t completing proper drug and alcohol testing or getting the required amount of rest between flights. Business owners are liable if it’s found that a dangerous pilot wasn’t checked out in background checks before being hired. Helicopter companies must provide adequate training to employees. These companies are also responsible for the maintenance of safe helicopters.
Compensation for California Helicopter Crash Victims and Families
Nothing can replace the love and care that a family member lost in a helicopter crash provided and would have kept on providing.
But families shouldn’t hesitate to seek justice after a careless mistake claims a life. They also shouldn’t have to worry about their current financial situation or their future wellbeing. California allows families to file a wrongful death claim to seek support in the aftermath of a California helicopter accident.
A skilled California helicopter accident lawyer would ask for these and other benefits for surviving family members:
- Money to pay for a funeral and proper burial.
- Money to pay any medical bills that remain.
- Money to replace the income the deceased can no longer provide to support loved ones in the future.
- Support for the loss of care and guidance a tragic death creates.
Surviving helicopter accident victims can also seek support throughout recovery. A skilled personal injury lawyer would help victims demand money to pay all current hospital bills and any bills expected in the future. Victims should receive full reimbursement for the income they lose while having to miss work. The emotional trauma and physical pain that victims endure should be compensated.
A lawyer would also safeguard victims who have suffered a permanent physical disability. Those victims should receive lifetime support.
Contact a California Helicopter Accident Lawyer
If a helicopter company’s negligence caused an injury or death in your family, you should speak to a California Helicopter Accident Lawyer. Contact us to schedule a free and confidential consultation. It’s a chance to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold an airline fully responsible.
We also compassionately represent families who have lost a loved one in a devastating helicopter crash. We handle the negotiations with aviation companies and their lawyers, to allow family members the time to grieve their loss without worry over the future.
If you decide Maison Law can help you secure more for your helicopter wrongful death claim, you won’t need any upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you and your family. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money you are awarded.
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