Deadly Georgia Plan Crash Could Mean Wrongful Death Suit
When anyone flies in an aircraft, they are in an essence giving up all control of what can happen. They have to trust in the safety of the aircraft and the ability of the pilot. A recent Georgia plane crash proved to be a deadly endeavor for passengers and may open the door to a wrongful death suit once a cause is established.
According to reports, the plane was on its way from a neighboring state when it went down just west of Augusta, Georgia. The plane reportedly crashed at the end of a runway. Five people lost their lives and two were injured in the nighttime accident. The pilot was one of the survivors.
Reports indicate there was also a brush fire by the crash site and the crash caused power outages nearby. There is currently no obvious cause for the small plane to have crashed. At the time of the report, authorities were still in the process of identifying those who died.
While there is no cause yet determined, an investigation will likely pinpoint exactly what caused the plane to crash and ultimately caused the death of five people. There are times where investigations discover pilot error or a mechanical malfunction in the plane that could have been avoided or detected before take-off. If an investigation reveals this incident is the result of negligence by either the pilot or the plane company, the families of the victims may have cause to file a wrongful death suit in a Georgia civil court.
Source: CBS News, “Five killed as small jet runs off Georgia runway, crashes,” Feb. 21, 2013