BSCR has extensive experience providing legal services to the aerospace industry throughout the United States. Our attorneys have successfully represented general aviation manufacturers, commercial airlines, fixed base operators, component part manufacturers, airports, and others in a variety of actions. We have experience in the defense of product liability, personal injury, employment, insurance and premises liability, among others. We have been directly involved in state and federal litigation arising from incidents in all regions of the country, and in some cases outside the country.
Our experience spans several decades and includes the successful trial to verdict of numerous aviation cases. Several of our attorneys have specific aviation experience and have handled a broad range of cases, from the minor to the catastrophic. We run a flexible practice with an emphasis on efficiently assessing our clients’ needs in each case and establishing a creative course of action.
The aerospace matters we have handled include:
Commercial Airlines
- Litigation arising from bomb incident on TWA Flight 840 near Athens, Greece
- Litigation arising from the crash of USAir 427 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Consolidated federal litigation against aircraft cart manufacturers
- Numerous personal injury claims filed by commercial airline passengers
- Wrongful death claims arising from airport incidents
- Commercial disputes between operators and repair facilities
General Aviation
- Aircraft crashes due to in-flight breakup incidents of single-engine aircraft (Cessna 210s, Piper PA 28s, Piper PA 32s, Piper Malibus, etc.)
- Helicopter crashes due to alleged airframe failures
- Helicopter crashes due to engine failures
- Aircraft crashes due to engine failures, fuel contamination, pilot issues, and avionics
Airport Premises Liability
- Personal injury claims of airline employees
- Personal injury claims of passengers injured in airports
- Employment cases
Insurance Policy Coverage
- Handling of declaratory judgment actions to determine coverage issues
- Policy review and opinions
For more information about the services we provide to the Aerospace industry contact Executive Committee Member John W. Cowden at 816.448.9347.
Results
In this action, survivors of a commercial airline crash in Chile filed numerous claims in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas for physical and emotional damages alleging the crash was caused by a defective deicing system. BSCR obtained a dismissal of all claims against our client, a deicing component part manufacturer, following minimal discovery and mediation with no payment by our client.
BSCR successfully procured the dismissal of our component part manufacturing client in an action involving claimed defects in a component part allegedly causing the crash of a single engine aircraft and death of the pilot. The no-payment dismissal was procured by BSCR in this Rutherford County, Tennessee case prior to the close of discovery.
BSCR negotiated a favorable settlement on behalf of our client, an international airport, in an action filed in Platte County, Missouri in which plaintiff, an airline passenger, alleged injuries sustained due to dangerous property conditions at the airport.
In this Baltimore County, Maryland action plaintiffs alleged an avionics product caused the crash of a single engine aircraft resulting in multiple deaths. BSCR obtained a no payment dismissal of all claims against our client, an aircraft component part manufacturer, before the close of discovery.
A favorable settlement was achieved for our client in a wrongful death plane crash action filed in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Plaintiffs alleged a defective deicing system caused a crash near Moscow, Russia resulting in multiple deaths. . .
A favorable settlement was obtained in a Franklin County, Missouri case involving wrongful deaths due to an airplane crash alleged to have been caused by engine failure on takeoff. Although a multi-million dollar jury verdict was entered, the claims against our aircraft engine manufacturing client were dismissed before trial due to the successful negotiation of a settlement for a nominal payment by our client.
BSCR obtained a jury verdict on behalf of a commercial airline in a discrimination case filed in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Plaintiffs, two passengers on the flight, filed discrimination claims against our client for statements made by a flight attendant. . .
BSCR secured dismissal of our client, a hydraulics system product supplier, in a case in which plaintiffs sued multiple parties alleging mechanical defects in the hydraulic system of a jet airliner causing the crash and death of all passengers and crewmembers. The case, filed in Cook County, Illinois, included mechanical, electrical and hydraulic engineering issues. . .
BSCR obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of a helicopter part manufacturer in a case filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in which plaintiff alleged a defectively designed helicopter component part resulted in the crash of a medical emergency helicopter. BSCR’s defense of the case was based on pilot error due to flying in foggy conditions.
BSCR’s defense of a life flight medical service provider in a Jackson County, Missouri action resulted in summary judgment for our client. In this action, plaintiff alleged a defective turbine engine in a helicopter caused the helicopter to crash during a medical emergency evacuation. After extensive discovery, including document production in France, summary judgment was entered on behalf of our client. . .
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