Ladd Sanger

Managing Partner, Dallas Office

Practice Areas

Ladd Sanger focuses his practice on aviation law, including products liability, business litigation, and representing clients who have been injured as a result of air disasters. As a pilot with experience flying both fixed-wing planes and helicopters, Ladd understands the technical aspects of aviation crashes and applies that knowledge to all of his cases.

Ladd is an FAA-licensed Airline Transport Pilot with a jet type rating and is also a licensed helicopter pilot. He has handled numerous crash cases around the globe, obtaining significant settlements for those injured or for the families that lost loved ones in a tragic accident.

In addition to his aviation practice, Ladd has prosecuted and tried as lead counsel products liability cases involving automobiles as well as catastrophic personal injury cases. He has litigated and tried cases in multiple jurisdictions in both state and federal court. Ladd is an AV®-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, based on peer reviews for ability and integrity.

As an active member of the national aviation bar, Ladd was selected by the American Bar Association to be the 2016–2017 Chair of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section’s Aviation and Space Law Committee. He also serves on the Board of Advisers for the SMU Air Law Symposium and is a past Chair of the Aviation Law Section of the American Association for Justice. He is licensed to practice law in Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Publications

"The Shifting Sands of Personal Jurisdiction" (Texas Lawyer, May 1, 2017)
"UAS: A New Legal Frontier in Aviation" (Texas Lawyer, July 14, 2014)
"Your First Helicopter Crash Case" (Trial, February 2010, Volume 46, No. 2)
"Aviation Cases Address Pre-emption, Jurisdictional Matters"(Texas Lawyer, July 13, 2009)
"Mandatory Aviation Insurance: A Domestic and International Perspective"(American Association for Justice presentation, 2008)
"Litigating Accidents and Injuries Under the Montreal Convention"(Texas Lawyer, August 6, 2007)
"Flying and Crashing on the Wings of Fortuosity: The Case for Applying Admiralty Jurisdiction to Aviation Accidents over Navigable Waters"(Journal of Air Law and Commerce, 2003)
"Failure to Warn: The Difference Between Strict Liability and Negligence from a Plaintiff’s Perspective" (The Air & Space Lawyer, Winter 1999)
"Will the General Aviation Revitalization Act Allow the Industry to Fly High Again?" (Oklahoma City University Law Review, 1995)

Education

J.D., Oklahoma City University
B.B.A., Southern Methodist University

Professional Associations

SMU Air Law Symposium, Board Member
- Opening keynote speaker at 56^th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium, 2022
American Association for Justice
- Board Member
- Aviation Law Section and Aviation Newsletter
Dallas Bar Association
American Bar Association
- Chair, 2016–2017 Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section’s Aviation and Space Law Committee
Aviation Insurance Association
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Lawyer-Pilot Bar Association

Honors & Awards

The Best Lawyers in America, 2009-present
AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Super Lawyers, 2008-present
- Rising Stars, 2004-2007
Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2017

Notable

Cases

Hicks v. Blue Hawaiian

On January 17, 2016, an Airbus EC130 T2 helicopter with registration number N11VQ operated by Blue Hawaiian experienced a sudden loss of engine power due to a broken fuel line, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing. All six passengers suffered serious injuries. At the time of the engine failure, the helicopter was flying…

Case Details