At Motley Rice, we work to help aviation disaster survivors and victims’ families, as well as victims of passenger rights violations. Our aviation attorneys have handled a wide variety of aviation cases, representing plane crash victims, both passenger and crew, from the United States and abroad. We recognize that survivors and family members of victims have many concerns following an aviation disaster and may face considerations of complex legal rights and actions. We approach each case with the goals of:
- Reassuring our clients that we can handle the intricacies related to investigating and litigating their cases
- Relieving our clients of as many burdens as we can
- Giving our clients a voice at a time in their lives when they feel the most vulnerable.
We not only seek justice and compensation for our clients, but also seek accountability from defendants and improvements in aviation safety and security standards.
Our Aviation Litigation Team
As one of the largest plaintiffs’ firms in the United States, Motley Rice has the professional experience and financial resources to investigate, litigate and resolve aviation crash cases in the U.S. court system on behalf of clients residing virtually anywhere in the world. We also work with foreign lawyers on cases outside of the U.S. Motley Rice has represented victims in litigation against airlines, manufacturers, maintenance contractors, airports, air traffic control and government entities.
Attorney Mary Schiavo, who often serves as a CNN Aviation Analyst and is the former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General, leads our aviation team, which includes attorney Jim Brauchle, a former navigator, as well as other attorneys and support staff. Motley Rice also employs three jet pilots, an aviation maintenance expert, a former flight attendant and multilingual translators. When an air tragedy occurs, we conduct our own extensive research for the litigation process as well as thoroughly analyze government investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aviation investigative agency on location for an international crash.
Recognized for bringing one of the largest aviation cases in history on behalf of 9/11 victims' families, our aviation attorneys remain at the forefront of the complex legal and technical aspects of aviation law. We stay on top of recent aviation incidents and investigations, using our experience and resources to research and analyze all aspects of an aviation disaster. See all news about aviation crashes under review.
International, Multinational and Cross-Border Litigation
Motley Rice, along with foreign co-counsel in the country of each crash, has been involved in international cases concerning crashes in countries such as Brazil, France and Canada. We believe that seeking improvements in aviation safety standards in our own country is important and that the same safety standards should be in place regardless of flight location and destination.
Our aviation attorneys have worked with clients and/or on crashes in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as the countries shown in blue on the map.
Compassion, Guidance and Support
Through our work with our clients and our aviation-related experience prior to joining Motley Rice, we understand the pain, confusion and questions that often follow tragic events and know that many clients feel overwhelmed by the emotional circumstances which brought them to us. While coping with the loss of a loved one or the devastation of a permanent injury, survivors and family members face numerous other obstacles such as medical expenses, loss of income and other important decisions that must be made. The option to pursue legal action may be a last consideration.
Our attorneys recognize that the idea of bringing a lawsuit can be daunting — but it doesn’t have to be. We consider it an essential part of our job to guide our clients through every step of the process, helping to lessen any anxiety they feel, and giving them the support, information and means to take control of terrible circumstances.
The Motley Rice Aviation Team Represents:
- Passengers and their families
- Airport and airline workers
- Flight attendants
- Pilots
- People on the ground injured by incidents involving:
- Charter planes
- Commercial airlines
- Helicopters
- Private aviation
- Small planes
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) / Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) / Drones
Types of Aviation
Motley Rice seeks to hold accountable those responsible in personal injury or wrongful death cases that involve aviation crashes or incidents. Cases that we have litigated or are currently litigating include the following types of aviation:
Major Commercial Airlines
- Includes both domestic and foreign flights
- Encompasses typical fare paying, scheduled flights
- Also includes chartered flights, air taxis and private planes for hire
Regional Carriers
- May be owned by or have a code-share agreement with a major airline
- May fly under major carriers’ names, paint and logos
- Often fly small, foreign-built jets
- May pay employees and contractors substantially less than the major carriers
General Aviation
- Also known as personal or on-demand aviation
- Includes all aviation except scheduled commercial flights and military aviation
- Ranges from small single engine, piston-powered aircraft to long-range business jets
- Examples include:
- Corporate flights
- Recreational and sport flying
- Agricultural flights
- Traffic surveillance and news reporting
- Medical and emergency evacuations
- Fire fighting
- Includes drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), as well as balloons and lighter than air vehicles, both commercial and private
Aviation lawsuits can include wrongful death, personal injury, product liability, strict liability, class actions and multinational and cross-border litigation. Our team works with families and family probate attorneys to resolve these and other complex legal issues.
Facing Tough Opposition
Motley Rice is determined to hold accountable airlines, airports, maintenance companies and manufacturers around the globe when their services and equipment result in injury or death. When dealing with air crashes, injuries and/or deaths, plaintiffs’ attorneys must litigate against some of the most well-funded defense teams in the world. Motley Rice attorneys have litigated cases against defendants that include:
Airlines and Charters
Air France
Malaysia Airlines
AirTran Airways, Inc.
Midway Airlines, Corp.
Alaska Airlines, Inc.
National Airlines, Inc.
American Airlines
Northwest Airlines Corp.
AMR Corporation
Pinnacle Airlines
Asiana Airlines Co. Ltd.
Rico Airlines
Chalk’s Ocean Airways
Singapore Air
Colgan Air, Inc.
Southwest Airlines
Comair, Inc.
SwissAir
Continental Airlines, Inc.
TAM Airlines
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
TEM Enterprises, d/b/a Casino Express
EgyptAir
UAL Corporation
JetBlue
United Air Lines, Inc.
Jet Logistics, Inc.
US Airways, Inc.
Kalitta Air, LLC
US Airways Group
MK Airlines
West Caribbean Airways
Manufacturers
Airbus Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries
Beechcraft
Northrup Grumman
The Boeing Company
Parker Hannifin
Bombardier/Canadair
Piper
Cessna
Pratt & Whitney Canada
Eclipse Aviation Corporation
Pratt & Whitney Engine
Embraer
Sikorsky
General Electric
Aviation Safran
Honeywell International Inc.
Turbomeca
Services
Raytheon
United Technologies Ports and Security Companies
Rolls-Royce
Argenbright Security, Inc.
Thales Burns
International Security
Services Corporation
Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France
Pinkerton’s Inc.
Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brazil
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Globe Aviation Services
Securicor, PLC
Halifax International Airport
Securitas AB
Huntleigh USA Corporation
Toronto Pierson International Airport
ICTS International NV
Washington, D.C. Airports Authority
Massachusetts Port Authority
he Federal Aviation Administration
Metropolitan Airports Authority
Various state and federal governmental authorities
Our Commitment
We are here to protect the interests of our clients and their loved ones, and will invest the resources and time necessary to work toward the best possible outcome. Each air crash has its unique set of facts and circumstances, but the common thread among all the families we have represented is the desire to know why this happened, and we strive to help them get answers.
