Legal news for Pennsylvania aviation accident attorneys – A Philadelphia jury found Lycoming Engines at fault for plane crash that killed four and left one severely injured.
Pennsylvania plane engine manufacturer ruled to pay $89M in damages for Ohio plane crash.
Philadelphia, PA (www.NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – A Philadelphia 11-member jury awarded $89 million on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, to one survivor and family members of the passengers killed in an Ohio plane crash, as reported by the Philadelphia Enquirer.
The Philadelphia Common Pleas Court found the plane’s engine manufacturer, Lycoming Engines, of Williamsport, Pa., responsible for the crash; on the basis that the company did not report information about a faulty carburetor that caused the crash.
In 1999, the 1968-built, six-seat Piper Cherokee, crashed shortly after taking off after a refueling stop in Youngstown, OH. The crash killed Lendon Pridgen, 53, and stepson, Anthony Cipparone, 15, both of Collegeville; Kenneth Tubman, 47, of Lower Providence; and Daniel Diggen, 56, of Chester, Md. The only survivor, Tyler Johnson, 15, was severely injured.
Kenneth Tubman’s family was not involved in the case, which has been meandering its way through court since 2001.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected arguments from the manufacturer that the plaintiff’s claims were barred under a statute limiting lawsuits over defects in planes over 18 years old twice before the case made it to a jury.
The case required a two-week trial. The plaintiffs claimed the faulty carburetor was the cause of the crash and the manufacturer, Lycoming Engines, was to blame for not reporting the defect. The defendant claimed the plane was near its maximum weight at take off and the majority of that weight was distributed at the back, resulting in poor operating conditions.
The jury awarded $25 million in compensatory damages, which was distributed in different amounts to the plaintiffs. Punitive damages of $64 million were awarded as a lump sum, according to the National Law Journal.
Legal News Reporter: Tara Monks – Legal news for Pennsylvania aviation accident attorneys.