A Los Angeles-based Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani trial team led by Partners Candice Nam and Stephen Ronk, with Project Analyst Jesse Orosz and Paralegal Marita Navarro, secured a complete defense verdict in a wrongful death and products liability case arising from a 2018 helicopter accident off the coast of Recife, Brazil.
The team represented a Torrance, California-based helicopter manufacturer in a case brought by the heirs of three individuals who lost their lives when a newscopter went down in the ocean. The plaintiffs alleged design and manufacturing defects and failure to warn, asserting strict liability and negligence claims. The case centered on the mid-flight failure of one of the helicopter’s main rotor blades, and during closing, the plaintiffs asked the jury for over $60 million.
The defense presented evidence that the rotor blade failure resulted from improper maintenance and an unauthorized repair performed in Brazil, contrary to manufacturer instructions and aviation regulations. Investigators and experts concluded that a lack of proper maintenance led to corrosion in the blade tips in the humid coastal environment, with the prohibited repair attempt exacerbating the problem and contributing to the in-flight failure.
After a multi-week trial, the jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a defense verdict on all claims.
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