The household of a Connecticut man killed within the January 29 collision of an American Airways aircraft with a navy Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River has filed a $250 million declare in opposition to the federal government.
A Chicago legislation agency, Clifford Regulation Places of work, has filed pre-case claims in opposition to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Military over the crash that took the lives of all 67 individuals on board. The household alleges that federal staff had been negligent or dedicated wrongful acts that precipitated the deadly accident.
In keeping with Robert Clifford, the lead legal professional, the pre-cases filings are required as a way to current claims in opposition to america beneath the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). He stated the federal government has six months to behave upon the claims, and if rejected or not acted upon inside that point, plaintiffs have the best within the subsequent two years to file lawsuits in federal district court docket that might be heard by a choose. Jury trials should not allowed in civil wrongful demise actions in opposition to the federal government.
The legislation agency has additionally requested all authorities companies, American Airways and helicopter companies Sikorsky Plane and Collins Aerospace to protect all proof associated to the collision.
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Clifford stated that for now, he’s “taking a cautionary strategy” over whether or not to sue others corresponding to American Airways and Sikorsky, pending the discharge of a Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) preliminary report that’s due inside weeks.
The FTCA claims had been filed on behalf of the widow and three sons of Casey Crafton, 40, of Salem, Connecticut who died within the collision. In keeping with Clifford, Grafton was coming back from Kansas on a enterprise journey working as a technical help supervisor at Guardian Jet, an aviation consulting agency.
NTSB has reported that staffing of air site visitors controllers was “not regular” on the time of the nighttime collision and that there could have been communication lapses between the controllers and the plane.
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