Airplane accident cases make up a small fraction of personal injury cases nationwide, though they almost always have catastrophic consequences. As a result, few personal injury lawyers have ever handled an aircraft accident in their career.
Aircraft accidents involve a joint initial investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the manufacturer of the aircraft of any parts suspected of causing or contributing to the accident. The victims’ families are not permitted to participate in this investigation. Even before the investigation begins, the experienced accident firm will hire experts to evaluate the available crash scene evidence and evidence from first responders as it becomes available. Once made available, a careful inspection of the aircraft is also required.