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Medical Helicopter Crash In Arkansas – 2nd In As Many Months

An Air Evac Lifeteam Bell 206 helicopter en route to pick up a traffic accident victim crashed about 4:30 this morning in Scotland, Arkansas about 80 miles north of Little Rock killing all three crew members on board.

 The pilot was flying under visual flight rules and the helicopter was equipped with night vision gear.  It is not thought the pilot was in touch with air traffic controllers at the time of the crash and no distress calls were made.

 Investigators from the FAA and the NTSB are on their way to the crash site.

 According to BNO News, the crew was based in Vilonia, Arkansas.  AirEvac, based in West Plains, Mo. is the largest independently owned and operated membership-supported air medical service in the U.S. having operations in 14 states.

Air Evac has had several deadly crashes in the last four years killing 9 crew members, reports the Associated Press.  In 2008, a crash in Indiana killed three people.  In 2007, another three-member crew died when their AirEvac helicopter crashed in Alabama. In 2006, a crash in northwest Arkansas killed the three crew members on that Air Evac helicopter.  Last month, an AirEvac helicopter was force to land after the aircraft’s hydraulics failed – no on was injured in this mishap.

The Med Vac crash last month: On July 28, the pilot, flight nurse, and paramedic were killed when their Air Methods LifeNet medical helicopter AS350 B3 Eurocopter crashed in Tucson, AZ.   Although the cause of the crash is not known, a witness said the helicopter’s rotors stopped working and it started plummeting toward the ground.

The crash is being investigated.

With a strong background in helicopters as a pilot, maintenance officer and maintenance test pilot, and a strong background in litigation all over the world against the largest corporate defendants, Crouse Law Offices has the experience and knowledge to know how to succeed and how to win your case.  Please call us at 1-919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed In Maryland Medical Helicopter Crash

The husband of a medical technician killed when a Maryland State Police helicopter crashed in September 2008 has filed a $7 million wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government. 

In March, relatives of the paramedic on board filed a $15 million lawsuit.  A personal injury claim for $50 million was filed by the  lone survivor of the crash only to have the FAA deny the claim. 

The helicopter was en route from a traffic accident to a hospital when it was diverted to Andrews Air Force Base because of bad weather.  The pilot had trouble with the foggy weather as he was trying to land and radioed for help twice before crashing 3 miles from the base.  His calls for help were never answered by the air traffic controllers.

The lawsuit claims “negligence” on the part of the Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers. 

Four of the five on board were killed including one of the traffic accident victims. 

 Helicopter Wrongful Death

Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit In Tesla Motor Co. Plane Crash

The family of a Tesla Motors employee who died in a plane crash in East Palo Alto has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the pilot’s estate.

The parents of the 31-year-old Tesla electrical engineer died in February when the Cessna 310 in which he was a passenger hit high-tension power lines and a 60 foot transmission tower shortly after takeoff.  The plane’s owner/pilot and a senior manager at the electrical car manufacturer were also killed in the crash.

The lawsuit accuses the pilot of negligence for taking off in heavy fog.  Air traffic controllers warned the pilot twice that because of the heavy fog, taking off was “at his own risk.”  Shortly after takeoff, the pilot banked left instead of right as he had been instructed by the controllers.

NTSB has not released a final report concerning the plane crash.

Tesla Motors Wrongful Death Lawsuit

As wrongful death attorneys, Crouse Law Offices have experience dealing with the grief and confusion a family feels following the unexpected and unnecessary death of a loved one.  It is difficult for family to maneuver through the maze of legalities while mourning the loss of their loved one, especially when the death is that of a young father and husband. Please feel free contact us at jtc@crouselaw.com or call us at 1-919-861-0500.

EagleMed Helicopter Crash Kills Two – Helicopter Has History of Crashes

Two people are dead and another in critical condition following an EagleMed 1998 Eurocopter AS-350 helicopter crash in Oklahoma on Thursday.  A witness says the chopper went into a tail spin before clipping the top trees, hitting the ground and bursting into flames.  The pilot and the nurse were killed in the crash – the paramedic was the only survivor. 

NTSB documents show other AS-350 have gone down 58 times in the last five years.  Earlier this year an AS-350 crashed in Tennessee killing the pilot and two nurses.  Although pilot error was found to be the cause of some of the crashes, there is evidence that mechanical error was the cause of other crashes.  EagleMed’s history is much better than the AS-350, with only two accidents in its 30-year history. 

The NTSB works closely with the FAA to determine if there are safety issues that need to be addressed with certain aircrafts or in the industry.  

The preliminary report from the NTSB is expected to be released next week.

Medical Helicopter Crash

$82.5 M Awarded To Blast Victim’s Family

As wrongful death attorneys, Crouse Law Offices have experience dealing with the grief and confusion a family feels following the unexpected and unnecessary death of a loved one.  It is difficult for family to maneuver through the maze of legalities while mourning the loss of their loved one, especially when the death is that of a young father and husband. Please feel free contact us at jtc@crouselaw.com or call us at 1-919-861-0500.

The Star-Telegram reports the family of a 27-year-old man who died of injuries suffered in an explosion at a natural gas processing plant has been awarded $82.5 million by a Harris County (Texas) jury. 

In May, 2007, the young man was injured when a hot-oil treater exploded and he died at the hospital the next day.  The award will go to his widow and the couple’s three young children including a son born shortly after his father died. 

Exterran Energy Solutions L.P of Houston – formerly Hanover Compression L.P. – will be liable for the damages if the award is upheld.  The plant, built by Hanover, is owned by Fort Worth-based Quicksilver Resources, a natural gas producer.  

The jury found Hanover was grossly negligent and 90% responsible for the accident and Quicksilver was 10% responsible but not guilty of gross negligence.  Quicksilver was not responsible for any monetary damages because the company provided workers’ compensation insurance for its employees.  The young man was a Quicksilver employee.

$1.8M Award Against Hyundai Following Teen’s Death

A jury in San Angelo (Texas) federal court has reached a $1.8 million award against Hyundai Motor Company in favor of the plaintiff – the father of a 19-year-old girl killed in 2007. 

The teenager was a passenger in a car driven by her sister when the car veered off the road and rolled over.  Although she was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, she was thrown out through the back window of the car because her seat was too far reclined.  She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.  Experts testified a car seat reclined past 45 degrees is unsafe and the safest position for the passenger seat is in the upright position. 

 In filing the lawsuit, the father of the dead girl hopes to call on the auto industry to correct the design which allows a car to be driven with the seat reclined.

 The issue of the reclining seat got national attention in 1988 when the NTSB asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to research the problem. 

If you have been injured or a loved one killed in an auto accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability.  Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Crouse Law Offices for a free evaluation of your case at 1-919-861-0503 or fill out our confidential online form.