The family of a Hawaii official who died in a small plane crash has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the engine manufacturer. According to records the brother of Hawaii's former health director has sued Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. and Makani Kai Air Charters following the crash landing that was triggered when the plane lost power.
The wrongful death and negligence suit alleges that the Canadian Company knew about the tendency of the turbine blades the stretch when heated, which in turn would cause the engines to lose power. This defect "created an unreasonable risk that the turbine blades would come into contact with the engine shroud and cause the engine to seize," the lawsuit alleges.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the crash, and has not yet released its final report. However, a preliminary NTSB report generally confirmed earlier reports that passengers heard a loud bang, then lost power.
Whenever aviation accidents occur, exploring all potential causes is critical to ensuring you or your loved ones obtain the compensation they deserve. While airplane accidents may be due to pilot error or recklessness, often other causes may be to blame.
Manufacturers of defective parts may be found responsible and required to pay damages in product liability lawsuits where it is determined that an accident happened as the result of an product that was not fit for it's intended purpose or was unreasonably dangerous when used in the manner for which it was intended.
Alternatively, manufacturers may also be held responsible if they are aware (or should be aware) of dangers with their products and fail to adequately warn of these dangers.
Here, the investigation into the crash continues.
For more information, or if you or a loved one have been injured in a Hawaii aviation accident or other type of personal injury lawsuit, please contact the dedicated Hawaii accident attorneys at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.
