Were you or a member of your family involved in an accident caused by a Bell 206 helicopter that turned out to be defective? If so, you might have grounds to sue for all resulting harm. Whether you suffered injuries, or a member of your family died in the helicopter accident, you could have grounds to take legal action.
If you are thinking about filing an injury lawsuit or a wrongful death lawsuit after a helicopter accident involving a defective Bell 206 helicopter, you should really consider finding representation. Here at Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers are ready to help you with your case. Our attorneys have decades of experience handling all sorts of claims – and they are ready to help you recover the settlement that you are owed.
If you are ready to speak with our helicopter accident experts, contact us today.
Information on the Bell 206 Helicopter
Bell 206 is a group of two-bladed, single-engine and twin-engine helicopters that include the JetRanger, the LongRanger, the TwinRanger, and the Gemini ST. These helicopters are manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Multiple companies produced by Bell Helicopter have been involved in fatal incidents. The Bell 206 helicopters, specifically, have been involved in 30 fatal accidents in about 5.5 million flight hours; this results in a fatal accident rate of 0.55 per 100,000 flight hours.
Some Causes of Helicopter Accidents
Helicopter accidents, which are easily among the most dangerous types of accidents, can happen for a number of reasons. Common causes are listed below:
- Pilot error (flying in bad weather, flying under the influence, general negligence while flying)
- Negligence of pilot companies and training companies (certifying unskilled pilots, allowing untrained pilots to fly, etc.)
- Negligence of helicopter owners and maintenance/repair companies (due to mechanical issues with the helicopters)
- Negligence of helicopter manufacturers (due to defects in the helicopter)
Of course, depending on the cause of the accident, different parties could be held accountable. Recently, because of an incident involving a potentially defective helicopter, the severe danger represented by defective helicopters has been highlighted.
Possible Helicopter Defects: although every situation is different, some potential helicopter defects that could be present in Bell 206 helicopters and could quickly lead to dangerous accidents include issues with rotors (the tail rotor and main rotor, the rotor mast, the engine, the transmission, the fuel tank, the electric system, the tail boom, etc. If any issue arises mid-flight, a crash could be inevitable.
Helicopter Crashes Could Lead to Serious Injuries
Although many people are lucky enough to say that they survived helicopter accidents, all helicopter accidents have the potential to cause serious, and potentially, fatal injuries. Potential harm could include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries, head injuries, fractured skull
- Neck injuries and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Severed limbs
- Crushing injuries
- Ruptured and punctured organs
- Burn injuries
- Nerve damage
- Disfigurement and scarring, in general
It doesn’t matter if you sustained the injuries listed above or if a member of your family suffered fatal injuries in a helicopter crash involving a defective Bell 206 helicopter. You might have grounds to sue – so it is important that you explore your legal options as soon as possible.
Is Bell Helicopter Liable for Harm Caused by Defective Helicopters?
Yes – Bell Helicopter could be liable for any injuries caused by a defective Bell 206 helicopter. This is based on the concept of product liability. Companies can be liable for any harm resulting from a defect present in their product’s labeling, design, or manufacturing. More specifically, based on product liability, all companies have a duty to ensure that their products are completely safe for all consumers. They must inspect and test their products thoroughly to be able to identify and address any defects that could potentially lead to incidents. Therefore, if you or a loved one was harmed in an accident involving a defective Bell 206 helicopter, Bell Helicopters could be liable.
Can other parties or entities be liable – or at least partially liable? Yes – although this will depend on the specific details surrounding the incident. For example, if the owner of the helicopter (whether this was an individual or a company) was aware of the defect but failed to take any action and continued to fly it, then the property owner could also be liable for any resulting harm. Of course, other parties/entities could be liable in other situations as well.
For more information about liability after a defective Bell 206 helicopter accident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm immediately.
Your Right to File an Injury Lawsuit
As mentioned above, you could file a lawsuit against Bell Helicopter if you were injured in an accident involving a defective helicopter. If you suffered injuries and are considering filing a lawsuit against the company, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible with our helicopter injury lawyers. We can help you either start or continue your helicopter accident lawsuit.
Your Right to File a Wrongful Death Claim
You also have the right to sue if a member of your family died in a helicopter crash involving a Bell 206 helicopter. You might be asking yourself many questions, like can I really file a wrongful death claim? Our firm has been approached with many similar questions. Can a brother or sister file a wrongful death claim? Can stepchildren file a claim for the death of their stepparent? Can a divorced parent file a claim?
The answers to these questions are all yes. Based on California law, the following parties can file wrongful death claims:
- Surviving spouse, domestic partner, children (or anyone who would be entitled to the decedent’s property based on intestate succession)
- Putative spouse, putative spouse’s children, stepchildren, parents (given that they were financially dependent on the decedent)
- Minor who lived with the resident and was dependent on the decedent for the last 180 days
If you have doubts about whether or not you can file a wrongful death lawsuit, do not hesitate to contact us immediately. Our defective helicopter wrongful death lawyers are ready to help you understand your right to sue and help you get started on the legal process.
Can You Be Compensated?
If your lawsuit is successful, you could be eligible to recover monetary compensation for the harm that you suffered in your helicopter accident. Your recovery could potentially include compensation for the following: medical expenses; lost income; pain and suffering; property damage; punitive damages; legal costs.
What if you are filing a wrongful death claim? If you are filing a wrongful death claim, you can still be compensated, although your recovery can look different. Compensation for wrongful death claims typically include the following: all medical costs incurred before death; loss of support; loss of consortium; funeral and burial costs.
Here at Normandie Law Firm, our helicopter accident lawyers are ready to help you reach the highest recovery possible for your injury claim or wrongful death claim. You can trust that our helicopter experts will not rest until your claim reaches the maximum recovery available. Contact us today to learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to recovery.
Filing Your Helicopter Accident Lawsuit on Time
How long do you have to file your helicopter accident lawsuit or your wrongful death lawsuit? All claims are subject to a deadline – or a statute of limitations – that determines the total time that claimant have to file a lawsuit before losing their right to sue. In California, personal injury claims and wrongful death claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants only have two years to sue. It is important to note that exceptions could apply based on the details surrounding the claim. For more information surrounding the time that you have to sue, contact us today.
Getting Help with Funeral Costs
The sudden death of a loved one can cause significant financial distress. Unfortunately, most of us are simply not financially prepared to handle the sudden expenses associated with funerals. If you are looking for financial help with funeral costs, we can help you. Normandie Law Firm can help you with covering funeral expenses after a helicopter crash or any other crash involving an aircraft. For details about how we can help you take care of these costs, contact us today.
Contact Normandie Law Firm
Our helicopter accident lawyers are ready to help you with your lawsuit against Bells Helicopter. You can trust that our experts have experience in these types of aviation accidents and are ready to provide you with the best representation available. If you would like to discuss your claim with our experts, contact us today.
We offer both free consultations and free second opinions to ensure that you can access the legal services that you need without paying anything upfront. During these free legal services, our helicopter crash attorneys will answer your questions, address your concerns, and provide you with the guidance that you need to either begin or continue your lawsuit. To benefit from our legal services, contact us today.
Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that you will not be required to cover any legal costs whatsoever. In fact, because we also work on contingency, you will actually not have to pay anything until your helicopter crash lawsuit is successful. If you do not win, you will not be responsible for paying legal costs. Even better – all legal fees will come from your final settlement, so you will never have to worry about paying anything out of pocket.
Contact us today for help with your Bell 206 defective helicopter lawsuit. We are ready to help you.
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