A freak accident has made widows out of a California woman and her two daughters. The husbands of the women were flying in a single-engine 1967 Piper when it is believed the engine failed, causing the plane to go down. Witnesses described hearing a sputtering sound and saw the plane clip the treetops before crashing in Lake Elsinore, killing all three men aboard. The accident is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Private Flying -How Safe Is It?
The crashes of single-engine aircraft do not receive the attention of a commercial airline crash because there are usually few people aboard a small private plane. However, these planes have a statistically greater chance of crashing. According to statistics, there have been 1,111 fatal private plane crashes in the United States between 1950 and 2011. While there were an average of 4.03 deaths per million flight hours on commercial airlines during that time, private aviation accounted for 22.43 deaths per million flight hours, or more than four times the death rate of commercial aviation.
Most private plane crashes are caused by pilot error. Inclement weather may also be a factor, as well as structural defects in the plane itself or poor maintenance leading to a breakdown. Commercial pilots have much more stringent licensing requirements than private pilots, so lack of proper training may also lead to more private plane accidents. Finally, actions on the part of one or more of the plane’s occupants could lead to a crash as well.
A lawsuit against any airline or pilot is a complex matter, and lawsuits against airplane manufactures can be even more complicated. Negligence, product liability or a combination of these two may cause damages to passengers, so it is important to have an attorney who understands the realities of personal injury law and who can deal with the technical information involved in an airplane crash lawsuit as well as deal with insurance companies and others who may have a stake in a tragedy such as this.
The attorneys at Ashley Injury Lawyers have the experience necessary to help you navigate any type of personal injury lawsuit. Located in Roseville, Ashley Injury Lawyers offers honest and straightforward advice to all clients and passionate representation of your interests. Contact Ashley Injury Lawyers today to find out more about how you may be able to recover compensation as a result of injuries sustained in an accident.
