Austin Helicopter Accident Lawyers
When mistakes are made in designing, constructing, maintaining, or piloting a helicopter, the consequences can be serious or even fatal.
Victims can suffer serious life-long injuries as a result of a helicopter crash or other related incident. And many grieving loved ones are left behind after deadly helicopter accidents.
It's important to understand your rights if you or someone you love was hurt in a helicopter accident. Slack Davis, LLP is here to help in these difficult situations. We have a long history of representing aviation accident victims, and our attorneys have technical industry backgrounds, so we can truly understand what went wrong.
Give us a call today at (800) 455-8686 to schedule your free consultation and learn how Austin helicopter accident lawyers at Slack Davis, LLP can fight for your right to fair compensation following a crash.
How Can Slack Davis’ Austin Helicopter Accident Lawyer Help After a Helicopter Accident?
When a helicopter accident happens, you need to:
- Identify what went wrong: Slack Davis, LLP attorneys include former pilots with thousands of flight hours and Mike Slack, a former NASA aerospace engineer. We know what can happen on a helicopter, and we can spearhead a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident.
- Determine who can be held liable: Our attorneys have stood up to commercial airlines, helicopter tour companies, medical helicopter operators, and many other major aviation giants in the industry. We will identify all defendants who are responsible for your accident and fight to make them pay what's due.
- Gather evidence: We'll obtain black box data, witness testimony, maintenance records, pilot work histories, and technical evidence from the scene. We also have a network of experts who can reconstruct what happened and prove how the accident happened and who was to blame.
- Obtain compensation: At Slack Davis, LLP, we've recovered millions for helicopter accident victims. We can negotiate a settlement or go to court on your behalf to get you full and fair compensation for physical and emotional damage caused by the crash or for the loss of your loved one.
Our firm has been representing injured victims since 1993, and we've fought for clients in 47 states. Aviation accidents are one of the main focuses of our firm because of our deep industry knowledge, and we are ready to help you get justice.
Common Causes of Austin Helicopter Accidents
Helicopter accidents happen for many reasons. Some of the most common causes include:
- Faulty parts: If something goes wrong with an aircraft or its parts, the defect could cause an accident or worsen injuries. For example, in one case where Slack Davis, LLP recovered compensation for clients, a survivable crash turned fatal because a defect in the fuel tank caused it to rupture. In other situations, we recovered compensation when a defective engine component or a defective FADEC system caused a crash.
- Maintenance errors: When a maintenance failure causes an accident, those responsible for maintaining the aircraft (and their employer) could be held liable. In one example, Slack Davis obtained compensation for crash victims because of the omission of a load-bearing bushing during maintenance.
- Untrained pilots: If pilots don't operate a helicopter safely or make dangerous decisions like flying in bad weather because of inadequate training, the pilot and their employer may be liable for losses. Slack Davis, LLP helped victims of one accident to pursue compensation after a poorly trained pilot's errors resulted in a helicopter becoming caught in a fatal downdraft.
These are just some of the many potential causes of helicopter accidents. Other incidents could include:
- A decision to fly in bad weather
- Air traffic controller error
- Intoxicated, fatigued, or distracted operation of a helicopter
- Human error
Slack Davis will help you identify the cause of your crash and work with you to prove it so you can pursue justice.
Common Injuries Sustained From Helicopter Accidents
Helicopter accidents can cause fatal injuries or serious injuries that can result in impairment. Some of the most common injuries from helicopter accidents include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Violent impact or flying debris can cause damage to the brain.
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries are also common due to flying debris or violent force, and they can leave victims paralyzed.
- Broken bones: Fractures to the arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, and other bones are common because of the force of an aircraft accident.
- Burn injuries: Fires or fuel explosions resulting from a helicopter accident can result in severe burns requiring extensive treatment and skin grafts.
- Internal injuries: While damage to organs or internal bleeding isn't always immediately apparent, it's common due to the force of a crash and can be life-threatening.
- Neck and back injuries: Soft tissue injuries like whiplash and herniated discs can result from a helicopter accident and cause lasting pain and mobility issues.
- Facial injuries: Lacerations, fractures, dental injuries, and eye injuries are common because of the impact of a helicopter accident or due to shattered glass.
- Psychological trauma: Helicopter accident survivors often experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, or other types of emotional distress.
Slack Davis, LLP helps you fight for compensation for all of these injuries.
How to Prove Negligence in Austin Helicopter Accidents
To recover compensation, you will need to prove negligence or wrongdoing in most Austin helicopter accident claims, although helicopter manufacturers and aircraft part manufacturers may be held strictly liable for releasing a defective product onto the market.
If you want to pursue a claim against a pilot or against air traffic control, you'd need to show:
- The pilot or air traffic controller had a duty to you to exercise reasonable care and follow safety rules.
- They breached that duty by behaving less safely than a hypothetical reasonable professional would have under the same circumstances
- You were harmed as a direct result of the breach
Slack Davis, LLP helps you to show who was responsible for your accident and how they fell short.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Helicopter Accident in Austin?
You should be made whole for losses from a helicopter accident. This means recovering compensation for:
- Economic damage like medical bills, future medical care costs, lost wages, and future lost earning power
- Non-economic damages, including payment for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death damages including funeral expenses, lost wages the deceased would have earned, and lost companionship
Contact an Austin Helicopter Accident Lawyer
Don't hesitate to get help after your accident. Contact an Austin helicopter accident lawyer at Slack Davis, LLP, who is here and ready to help you fight for justice.
