Military Air Crashes Involving Private Contractors
Victims of military aviation accidents may have limited legal options. You can't sue the federal government for damages related to a naval jet crash or an army helicopter accident when the pilot was on active service in any branch of the armed forces. Federal law may also prohibit negligence claims against contractors providing aircraft, components or maintenance services to the military.
There are, however, important exceptions to the "government contractor defense", and we have won many cases against government contractors that supplied equipment to our military. The right to maintain an action for damages in a military contractor crash will generally depend on the military or civilian status of the victims as well as specific service or contract relationships related to the operation of the aircraft. An experienced aviation law attorney can explain the important considerations of fact and law that bear upon the right to maintain an action for damages under the facts of a given case.
Especially in the era of private outsourcing of military functions since the war in Iraq, there has emerged a class of accident scenarios that will support civil tort litigation for personal injury or wrongful death damages related to military aviation. These cases involve outsourced flights under military support contracts with private companies.
National Military Contractor Air Accident Attorneys
If you need advice about your right to compensation for catastrophic or fatal injuries associated with military flight missions carried out by private contractors, contact Kreindler & Kreindler LLP in New York, Boston or Los Angeles. We can give you a good idea of the viability of your potential damages claim. If we see that the contracting relationships in your situation make the case fall outside any grants of immunity, we can investigate your claims and present your demand for damages.
Here are some examples of the circumstances we look for to support civil litigation rights in military aviation accidents:
- Contract to transport military personnel from a stateside training base to an in-country operations area, or between bases in theater
- Negligent maintenance of a private plane used by private contractors
- Defective components in a private plane or helicopter used in outsourced military support operations
If the aircraft is owned by a private corporation, flown by civilian pilots, and operated under short-term contracts specific to a particular mission or sequence of missions, our attorneys will then have the opportunity to show how your case should go forward despite any general rules of litigation immunity for military aviation accidents.
Nationwide Military Airplane Crash Lawyers
Given the complexity of the statutory, contractual and evidentiary considerations that bear upon the right to civil damages in a military aircraft accident, it is important to discuss your legal options with an experienced attorney. For additional information about your rights, contact Kreindler & Kreindler at any of our offices for a free consultation.
