New York Injury Talk Blog

Seven bodies were recovered by divers from the Hudson River on Monday, August 10, 2009 after the wreckage of a plane and sightseeing helicopter was found. According to a report, nine people were tragically killed in the New York air disaster that took place over Manhattan on Saturday, August 8, 2009, with the body of an adult passenger and the small plane’s pilot still missing.

Those killed in this accident included members of a Pennsylvania family and an Italian tour group from the Bologna area. The single-engine Piper was discovered less than a quarter of a kilometer from the New Jersey side of the river in 15 meters of water. Reduced visibility forced divers to hold off the search Monday morning due to the river’s strong current and murky waters.

As the family members of those lost in this tragic and unexpected aviation accident grieve for their loved ones, we send them our warmest sympathies during this emotional and difficult time. Any accident involving an airplane or helicopter can bring a lot of shock to not only the families of those involved, but the community as a whole. No one should ever have to endure the loss of a family member or friend because of an aviation accident and it is indeed tragic when such cases force one to have to.

Continue reading "New York Plane and Helicopter Crash Kills 9, 2 Bodies Still Missing" »

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Posted In: Aviation Accidents , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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According to a MSNBC report, the turboprop plane that crashed in a cemetery in Butte, Montana killing all 14 passengers on Sunday, March 22, 2009 was made to hold only ten people. At first, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they thought the plane could hold eleven people. The plane left Oroville, CA and was heading towards Bozeman, MO when it changed course to Butte without the pilot indicating any problematic issues to air traffic controllers. Acting chairman of the NTSB, Mark Rosenker, said that investigators want to find out if the plane was over its weight restrictions; however, people should not jump to conclusions that overloading was the cause of Sunday’s crash.

Seven of the fourteen victims of this fatal plane accident were children under the age of ten. Passengers were on their way to a high-class Yellowstone Club for a family skiing holiday.

“We were going on a vacation with all the grandkids,” said Irving M. “Bud” Feldkamp, who lost two daughters and their families in the accident. “They were all excited about skiing.” According to the article, Feldkamp leased the airplane that crashed. He said he, his wife and another daughter had driven to Montana for the trip.

Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of those who died in this catastrophic aviation accident. It is such an unimaginable experience for anyone to have to endure the death of a loved one, whether because of a plane accident caused by the negligence of an airline, mechanical failure, or pilot error.

Continue reading "Tragic Aviation Accident Kills all 14 Aboard still Under Investigation" »

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Posted In: Aviation Accidents , Personal Injury

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A commuter plane – Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, N.J. -- missed the Buffalo airport coming in for a landing and crashed into a suburban house in a fiery crash. According to this Associated Press news report, 49 people aboard and one person in the home were killed in this nation’s first deadly crash of a commercial airliner since 2006. Two others inside the home, Karen Wielinski, 57, and her 22-year-old daughter, Jill, escaped with minor injuries.

Official reports state that the plane was new and had a clean safety record. William Voss, the current president of the Flight Safety Foundation, proposed that the nearly vertical drop of the plane suggests a sudden loss of control. He also said that mechanical failure or ice forming on the plane’s wings could have caused alteration in aerodynamics in this New York plane crash.

Apparently, witnesses heard the 74-seat Q400 Bombardier aircraft sputtering before it fell directly through the roof of the house, shooting flames at least 50 feet high.

Continue reading "Clarence New York Plane Crash Tragically Kills 50" »

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Posted In: Aviation Accidents , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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Full details have yet to be confirmed, but it appears that another New York airplane accident has occurred, this time just outside of Manhattan. A US Airways plane crashed into the Hudson River today, January 15th. There were no initial reports of deaths or serious injuries.

A Federal Aviation Administration representative says the US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte, N.C., when the crash occurred in the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.

The US Airways Airbus 320 was carrying 150 passengers, who were forced to board rescue boats after the accident to avoid the icy waters of the Hudson. The plane was submerged in the waters up to the windows. Rescue crews worked quickly to pull the US Airways crash accident victims from the plane, which appeared to be slowly sinking.

It appears that the plane struck a bird or a group of birds during takeoff, which disabled two of the planes engine and caused the New York airplane crash. At this time, government officials did not believe the crash was related to terrorism.

“There is no information at this time to indicate that this is a security-related incident," Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We continue to closely monitor the situation which at present is focused on search and rescue."

The New York aviation accident attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro are currently investigating potential claims regarding this US Airways plane accident. For more information, contact our offices at 212-986-7353.

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Jason Snyder, 33, and his 34-year-old Jennifer Snyder, were critically injured after their Beechcraft Sundowner Model 23 airplane crashed in Linden, New Jersey, on December 21, 2008. According to this news report, the aircraft went down near Linden Avenue and Pleasant Street. Eyewitnesses told officials they saw the plane flying low before it crashed into some trees not far from a small generate aviation airport.

Both Jason and Jennifer Snyder were reportedly able to crawl out of the aircraft that had caught fire. They were transported to a Newark hospital where they are said to be in critical condition. They are expected to recover from their injuries. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials are trying to look into whether the airplane crashed because of mechanical problems or inclement weather. The pilot, Jason Snyder, had apparently reported mechanical problems shortly before the airplane crash occurred.

If this aviation accident was caused by a product defect in the aircraft, then the manufacturers of those defective products may be held liable for the accident and injuries caused to the Snyders. The injured victims would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced and reputed New York personal injury lawyer who has an excellent track record dealing with aviation accidents.

If you or someone you know has been severely injured or killed in any aviation accident, please call the Law Offices of Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP. for a free consultation and case evaluation. We will fight for your rights and make sure that you get the compensation you rightfully deserve. In product liability cases, injured victims can get compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages.
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Former Blink-182 drummer who suffered severe burn injuries in an aviation accident has filed a product liability lawsuit against the aircraft and tire manufacturer seeking compensation for damages and personal injury. According to this news report, Barker alleges in his lawsuit that the Learjet crash caused him “great physical, mental and nervous pain and suffering.” Court papers also state that Barker’s injuries from the plane crash will result in permanent disability.

Barker has filed the lawsuit along with Thelma Martin Still, the mother of Barker’s associate Charles Still, who died in the Learjet crash along with three other passengers. Barker and DJ AM were the only survivors. Still has sued four companies for wrongful death, pain, suffering, mental anguish and loss of earnings. The companies that have been named in the lawsuit include Clay Lacy Aviation, Inter Travel and Services Inc., Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and Bombadier Inc.

Product liability lawsuits may be filed when victims suffer personal injuries or lose a loved one as a result of a dangerous or a defective product. In this case, experts believe that a tire blowout may have caused this fatal aviation accident. The lawsuit also alleges that the companies involved knew about the defects in the aircraft, but still allowed it to operate.

The purpose of product liability lawsuits and goal of product liability lawyers is not only to secure fair compensation for injured victims or families that have suffered the loss of a loved one, but also to punish product manufacturers who knowingly put such dangerous and defective products in the market.

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Posted In: Aviation Accidents , Burn Injuries , Personal Injury

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