Chicago Injury Attorney Blog

The widow of a Winnetka business executive is suing HK Golden Eagle Inc., Sybaris Clubs International Inc., and the administrator of Kenneth Knudson’s estate. Mark Turek, 59, died in a Wheeling aviation accident that occurred close to the Palwaukee Municipal Airport on January 30, 2006.

Turek, a Morgan Stanley senior vice president, Lake Zurich resident and Sybaris Clubs International founder Kenneth Knudsen, 40-year-old Chicago resident Scott Garland, and 37-year-old Algonquin resident Michael Waugh were flying back from a daytrip to Kansas when the catastrophic plane crash happened. All of them died in the airplane accident.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, because the pilot of the twin-engine plane failed to maintain airspeed as the aircraft was getting ready to land, it stalled and crashed to the ground. Turek and Knudson had been sitting in front of the plane’s dual controls, which means that either man would have been able to steer the plane. The NTSB was unable to determine who was flying the plane when the aviation accident happened.

Turek’s widow is seeking an unspecified amount of damages for her husband’s Cook County wrongful death.

Aviation Accidents
Plane crashes often result in deaths and catastrophic injuries. It is important that you work with a Chicago, Illinois aviation accident lawyer that knows how to successfully pursue your financial recovery.

Common causes of aviation accidents:

• Pilot error
• Air traffic controller negligence
• Third party negligence
• Plane defects
• Poor weather
• Flight attendant negligence
• Gate agent negligence
• Airport operator negligence
• Faulty maintenance
• Malfunctioning aircraft

Wrongful death lawsuit filed in Wheeling plane crash, Pioneer Local, April 12, 2010

Video Shows Plane Impact, CBS2, January 31, 2006

Related Web Resources:
National Transportation Safety Board

Plane Accidents Overview, Justia

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Cook County wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of baby Kirstin Blockinger against Air Angels and Reach Medical Holdings Inc. is still in the discovery phase. The 14-month-old, who had been diagnosed with failure to thrive, died on October 15, 2008 when the Air Angels helicopter that was taking her to Children’s Memorial Hospital crashed in Aurora.

Her family is accusing helicopter pilot Del Waugh of careless and negligent operation of the medical helicopter. They also contend that Waugh, who was 69, was overstressed following a recent divorce. The plaintiffs are accusing the company of failure to follow federal recommendations for conducting safe flights. Waugh and Air Angels co-workers William Mann and Ron Battiato died in the helicopter crash.

Their Cook County aviation accident lawsuit contends that Waugh was 29 and suffering from overstress that was partially triggered by a recent divorce. They claim that the helicopter company failed to abide by federal safety standards.

Also, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s report, Waugh did not take the proper steps to get ready for the flight path. He also is accused of filing a flight path that wasn’t high enough to clear the WBIG radio tower that the aircraft struck. The NTSB, however, acknowledged testimony provided by other Air Angels workers, who have stated that Waugh’s demeanor seemed normal and he looked well-rested when he began his shift on the night that the crash happened.

Unfortunately, helicopter medevac crashes can happen. As with all air flights, if the proper procedures aren’t followed, safety mechanisms aren’t in place, the pilot is distracted or lacks the experience or skills to safely fly the helicopter, or the aircraft malfunctions, the risk of an aviation accident happening increases dramatically. In most helicopter crashes, any injuries sustained are usually catastrophic or can prove fatal.

Family pursues lawsuit over crash, Beacon-News, March 17, 2010

Crash victims' families united in grief, Chicago Breaking News, October 16, 2008

Related Web Resources:
National Transportation Safety Board

Plane Accidents Overview, Justia

Continue reading "Family’s Chicago Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Air Angels Over Fatal Medical Emergency Helicopter Crash is Still in Discovery" »

In Cook County, Illinois, a judge has awarded the family of Michael Waugh $15 million for his airplane accident death. Waugh, a 37-year-old Algonquin resident, was one of four people killed when the Cessna 421B they were riding in crashed in a storage yard in January 2006.The twin-engine plane was heading to Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling.

$6 million of the $15 million Chicago wrongful death settlement is to go to Waugh’s widow. The remainder of the award will go to the Waugh’s three sons.

The Chicago plane accident complaint accused Morgan Stanley of acting improperly by letting employees use personal planes when doing business. According to the family’s Chicago airplane crash lawyer, all other financial institutions prohibit this practice.

The lawsuit accuses Mark Turek, a Morgan Stanley senior vice president and the person who was piloting the plane when it crashed, of negligence. Turek, 59, also died in the Cook County aviation accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board reported that based on its investigation, the Illinois plane crash occurred because of pilot error. Turek was an amateur pilot, not a professional one. The NTSB says that Turek was unable to maintain airspeed as the plane was getting ready to land. As a result, the aircraft stalled before crashing.

The two other people who died in the plane crash were Sybaris Clubs International Inc. founder Ken Knudson and Morgan Stanley financial adviser and Chicago resident Scott Garland. Waugh was chief operating partner and general manager of Chicago dining locale Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab Restaurant.

Chicago Airplane Accident
There are many laws, regulations, and other factors that must be taken into consideration when proving liability in your Chicago plane crash case. Your Illinois aviation accident attorney will also have to determine who and/or how many parties can be held liable. Possible defendants might include the airline company, the private plane chartering firm, the party that rented or owns the plane, the plane manufacturer, a plane parts manufacturer, the pilot, the Federal Aviation Administration, ground crew workers, and others.

Plane crash lawsuit settled: $15 million settlement approved by judge in 2006 crash near Wheeling airport, Chicago Tribune, September 4, 2009

Family Of Small Plane Crash Victim Files Lawsuit, CBS2Chicago, February 8, 2006

Related Web Resources:
Federal Aviation Administration

National Transportation Safety Board

Federal investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a deadly plane crash that claimed the lives of three families. An autopsy is being conducted on the body of pilot Ellison Summerfield to determine whether a medical emergency could have cause him to crash the private plane into a cemetery where it burst into flames. No one on the plane survived.

The Pilatus PC-12 was transporting three families to a Montana ski resort when the deadly accident happened. Killed in the aviation crash were Summerfield, passengers Amy and Erin Jacobson and their children Taylor, 4, Ava, 3, and Jude, 1, Vanessa and Michael Pullen and their children Sydney, 9, and Christopher, 7, Kristen and Brent Ching, and their children Heiley, 5, and Caleb, 3. The three couples had been friends in college and graduate school before becoming established in medical professions and starting their families.

Summerfield had reportedly engaged in several communications, including a request to divert the plane from its original landing destination, prior to the crash. None of those communications indicated he was concerned that anything was amiss with the aircraft.

The private plane was not carrying a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder. Officials are hoping that the engine performance record they recovered from the crash site might be able to shed some light on what happened. The adult victims’ cell phone records might also be examined for clues.

Overload may have also been a factor in causing the plane crash. The Pilatus PC-12 is designed to carry 10 people and there were 14 people on the plane.

Aviation Accident Lawsuits
It can be very challenging, even for federal aviation officials, to determine the cause of a plane crash. If someone you love was killed in an aviation accident, the best way to ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive all of the compensation your family is owed is to speak with an experienced Illinois plane crash law firm about your personal injury or wrongful death case.

Montana plane crash shatters 3 families, Seattle Times, March 24, 2009

Onboard Device Could Offer Clue to Montana Crash, New York Times, March 24, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Federal Aviation Administration

National Transportation Safety Board

Continue reading "NTSB Continues to Investigate Cause of Montana Plane Crash that Killed Three Families " »