Kansas City lawyer gets $18M in helicopter crash suit

Daily Record and the Kansas City Daily News-Press, Apr 3, 2008 by Charles Emerick

A Kansas City lawyer secured a multi-million dollar settlement for the families of three people killed in a 2002 medical helicopter crash in Nebraska.

Gary Robb, of Robb & Robb, said on Wednesday that an $18.4 million settlement will be divided among the families. The settlement will be paid by six defendants -- most of it by Eurocopter France, the helicopter's manufacturer.

"The pilot radioed in that he was having a binding problem with the right pedal, which controls the pitch of the tail rotor," Robb said in a release. "Shortly after that, witnesses observed the helicopter spinning out of control, and that is the classic sign of a failed tail rotor."

Vincent Powers, a Lincoln, Neb., a lawyer who worked with Robb said the arrangement is the largest wrongful death settlement in the state's history.

The June 2002 crash of a LifeNet helicopter in Norfolk, Neb., killed the pilot, a flight nurse and a flight paramedic.

The wrongful death lawsuit claimed the helicopter crashed because of a rubber bladder that was leaking hydraulic fluid. The pilot, who allegedly followed the correct procedure, shut down all hydraulics for the helicopter. But the tail rotor became uncontrollable and the aircraft crashed.

The case was scheduled to begin a jury trial in February, when the two sides initially agreed to settle the claims. The amount was finalized and the final dismissals were filed earlier this week.

Robb said Eurocopter France has since announced a change in the maintenance manual providing for more frequent inspection of the tail rotor component. The company also has claimed it will redesign the tail units in all of its helicopters similar to the one involved in the Norfolk crash.

"The families commend Eurocopter for making the design improvements," Robb said. "It is great comfort to them that no one else will be injured as a result of this part."