His website tells of an illustrious legal career spanning decades. Pictured next to an antique race car, Terry O’Reilly boasts that he is “one of the most distinguished and successful trial lawyers” in the entire United States. O’Reilly lists many awards he claims to have received and explains that “I have the largest number of
Air Force Hides the Ball on Andreini Crash Response
Hall of Fame Aerobatic pilot Eddie Andreini died during the "Thunder Over Solano" air show at Travis Air Force Base in May. There was a mishap during his routine, and his Stearman biplane slid to a stop on the runway. Eddie wasn’t hurt, but he was trapped in the plane. He radio’d for help.
The
NTSB Sued for Obstruction of Justice
Families of those involved in five different general aviation crashes and their lawyer are suing the NTSB, charging it with obstruction of justice. The suit claims that the NTSB withheld from the families information concerning each of the crashes in violation of the Freedom of Information Act.
I’ve commented before about how the NTSB’s “
Robinson R66 Crashes: Two More Lawsuits Filed
The Robinson R66’s safety record to date is troubling. The aircraft did not go into production until 2010 and the fleet is very small. Yet a total of five R66 helicopters have already crashed, killing 11:
- July 12, 2011, Flandes, Colombia, pilot and passenger killed;
- October 1, 2011, near Philip, South Dakota, pilot killed;
$26 Million Jury Verdict After Lycoming Refuses to Turn Over Documents
A jury in Washington state handed down a $26 million verdict against Avco Lycoming as a result of a fatal Cessna 172 crash that killed three people in 2008. The jury’s award included $6 million in punitive damages, designed to punish Lycoming for consciously disregarding the safety of the flying public.
It’s the second time a jury has
Jury Verdict for Cirrus and Against Lidle and Stanger Families Affirmed on Appeal
The plaintiffs’ attorney in the Lidle case told the press that, once the judge ruled that certain key evidence would be kept out of trial, a defense verdict was a foregone conclusion.
The plaintiffs wanted to tell the jury about an incident where, according to a Cirrus flight instructor, a Cirrus’ controls locked up
Aviation Law Firm O’Reilly & Collins in Bankruptcy
In July, aviation lawyers Terry O’Reilly and James P. Collins were billing their firm, O’Reilly & Collins, as “the premier trial law firm in Northern California.” They claimed the firm had the financial resources to take on any fight, and that it was “one of the most successful plaintiff’s trial law firms in the
Mobile Jury Sides With Continental Motors In Engine Failure Case
Bonanza N7472N crashed in December 2008 after its engine failed in flight. The engine failed because the crankshaft broke. The 25 year-old pilot was killed in the forced landing attempt. The pilot’s widow sued Continental Motors, alleging that the crankshaft, which was only 58 hours old, was defective. This week, the jury sided with Continental.
The plaintiff brought
Minnesota Supreme Court Rules That Cirrus Not Liable for Failure To Train
The Minnesota Supreme Court has now spoken, bringing to an end the litigation against Cirrus for its alleged failure to train pilot Gary Prokop.
Prokop flew his new Cirrus SR22 into conditions of poor visibility and crashed, killing himself and his passenger. The passenger’s family sued Cirrus, as will as Prokop’s estate, claiming that Cirrus
Cessna Caravan Trial Begins 10 Years After Crash
More than 30 Cessna 208 and 208B Caravans have crashed when their wings iced up in flight. Victims’ families have filed many product defect lawsuits against Cessna, claiming that Cessna concealed from the pilots defects in the aircraft’s deicing system. Silvey v. Cessna is the first case to reach trial. At least the first that I