Aircraft Accident Investigation and Litigation
Holland & Knight's Aviation Group includes a team of lawyers who concentrate their practice on aircraft accident investigations and litigation. When an accident occurs, the combination of our experience, industry knowledge, technical understanding and global reach enable us to skillfully represent your interests throughout the United State and the world.
Diverse Client Base
The single largest component of our aviation litigation practice is the representation of U.S. and non-U.S. airlines and manufacturers in the defense of claims arising out of aircraft accidents as well as aircraft crash investigations by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Our most significant aviation cases have involved mass-disaster litigation resulting from commercial airline crashes. However, we have also represented operators and manufacturers in connection with other accidents. These include military and general aviation aircraft accidents involving various kinds and models of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, ranging from small private aircraft and utility helicopters to corporate business aircraft and high-performance fighters.
Although we may be retained by the operators or manufacturers directly, we are often retained by their liability insurers. Among our current major aviation defense clients are the leading U.S., British, French and German aviation underwriters.
Substantial Experience in High Profile Aircraft Accidents and Investigations
Our experience in dealing with aircraft crash litigation and the investigations of the NTSB and the FAA is well known. In fact, one of our partners recently served as the general counsel to the NTSB. In addition to smaller crash cases, we have been lead U.S. counsel for the defendant operator or manufacturer in investigations and/or litigation arising out of the following:
- Air France A330 crash in Mid-Atlantic
- Turkish Airlines B737 crash in Amsterdam
- UPS Airlines B747 crash in Dubai
- Aires Airlines B737 crash in San Andres Island, Colombia
- Air France Concorde crash in Paris
- TWA Flight 800 B747 crash near Long Island
- American Airlines Flight 587 A300 crash near John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City
- UPS DC-8 accident in Philadelphia
- Numerous airlines in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center
- Aerocaribe BAE J32 crash near Villahermosa, Mexico
- Executive Airlines BAE J31 crash in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
- USAir B737 accident at LaGuardia Airport in New York City
- American Airlines MD-82 accident at Little Rock, Arkansas
- Colgate BK117 crash in New York City
- Eastern Airlines B727 crash at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City
- USAir F28 crash at LaGuardia Airport in New York City
- Air France/TAME B727 crash in Bogota, Colombia
- Airborne Express DC-8 crash in Virginia
- National Helicopter Bell 206 crash in New Jersey
- American Airlines B757 crash near Cali, Colombia
- Atlantic Coast Airlines BAE J41 crash at Columbus, Ohio
- American Eagle C212 crash at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
- USAir B737 and SkyWest Metroliner runway collision in Los Angeles
- U.T.A. DC-10 terrorist bombing in Niger, Africa
- United Airlines DC-10 crash at Sioux City, Iowa
- British Midland B737 crash near Kegworth, England
- Pan Am B747 and KLM B747 collision in the Canary Islands
- American Airlines DC-10 crash in Chicago
- Continental Airlines MD-80 incident at LaGuardia Airport in New York City
- EgyptAir B767 crash near Nantucket, Massachusetts
- ExcelAire Embraer Legacy mid-air collision with a Gol Airlines B737 in Brazil
- East Coast Jets Hawker 800 crash in Minnesota
Capacity to Handle Complex Claims from Major Disasters
Airline crash cases generally involve multiple deaths and injuries. The experience and capability to handle the complex claims that result from such “mass disasters” are especially important in aviation law cases. However, we have also served as counsel in non-aviation cases, such as hotel fires and widespread chemical exposure cases. Because of our global reach, we are able to mobilize a large number of experienced lawyers to deal with the problems arising out of a major disaster and the resulting claims and litigation.
In this connection, our team has devoted considerable time advising airlines about the U.S. government’s post-accident family assistance programs and airline compliance with these programs.
Comprehensive Aviation Counsel
Our team has handled virtually every conceivable issue for the aviation industry and related areas – large and small – including those related to:
- international aviation law, including the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions
- maritime laws, including maritime tort law and international and national aviation and maritime laws that are applicable to a crash on the high seas or other navigable waters
- traditional regulatory work, including aviation matters not involving accident investigations and litigation, such as representation of airlines in rulemaking, licensing and enforcement proceedings, advice relating to airway bills and tickets, labor and employment disputes, contractual claims, antitrust cases, tax issues, aviation insolvency/bankruptcy, treaty rights and aircraft financing.
Industry Recognition
Our Aircraft Accident Investigation and Litigation Team and its members have been acknowledged as leaders in aviation law by top legal publications throughout the world. Our most recent honors include recognition as leading aviation law practitioners by Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers, The International Who's Who of Aviation Lawyers, Euromoney Legal Media Group Guide to the World’s Leading Aviation Lawyers, Legal Media Group: The Best of the Best and Legal Media Group: The Best of the Best USA.