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Honolulu Helicopter Crash Lawyers

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While helicopter accidents are not frequent in Hawaii, they do happen. In 2012, the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) recorded three nonfatal and zero fatal helicopter accidents. Helicopter accidents may occur due to several reasons; and an experienced accident attorney can investigate the matter to help you get the funds you deserve if you were injured or you lost a loved one in a helicopter crash.

Causes of Helicopter Crashes

A helicopter can fail because of an electrical malfunction, mechanical malfunction or operational error. Each category has several subcategories that lead to the negligence of one or more parties, including the pilot.

Electrical malfunctions are mostly self-explanatory and include:

  • Shorts.
  • Failure of an electrical component.
  • Poor design of the electrical system or a portion of the electrical system.
  • Poor quality control.

Operational malfunctions cover many things and have the highest instance of human error. These malfunctions include:

  • Faulty training guides, operational procedures, checklists and manuals.
  • Pilot error, which may cause several things, including the pilot’s failure to operate the helicopter within its operational limits.
  • Not filing the flight plan in a proper manner.
  • Flying in unsafe conditions, such as a storm.
  • Inadequate or improper maintenance. Helicopters require more maintenance than fixed wing aircraft because of the number of moving parts.
  • Maintenance and flight personnel with improper or poor training.

Mechanical malfunctions also have some degree of human error. Flight checklists and maintenance procedures are in place to find worn or damaged parts before the helicopter takes off on its next flight. Mechanical malfunctions include:

  • Improper design of a part.
  • A part is defective before being installed on the helicopter.
  • Inadequate testing of the helicopter after installation of new parts.
  • Poor or no quality control.
  • Improper use of parts. This could be because a technician substitutes a different part if the right one isn’t available.
  • No maintenance or poor maintenance on the helicopter.
  • Replacement part installation is done incorrectly.

Injured in a Helicopter Crash?

Of course, visiting the hospital first is a “must.” Even if you feel you are not badly hurt, injuries could show up later. In many cases, you may be hurt too bad to contact an attorney right away. If you frequently ride in helicopters, you should leave instructions for your family to contact a helicopter accident attorney if you are involved in a crash and cannot make the call yourself.

If you lost a loved one in a helicopter accident, you may contact a helicopter crash lawyer on behalf of your loved one. The attorney will be able to advise you of your rights.

Helicopter pilots, their company and the helicopter manufacturers all hire attorneys as soon as possible after the crash. Additionally, their insurance carriers retain attorneys. This means that you are going to have to deal with several attorneys. Some companies may even retain two firms so that the attorneys work together as co-counsel. The last thing you need to do is to keep which attorney belongs to which defendant in your lawsuit or settlement negotiations. An experienced helicopter accident attorney takes that worry away from you.

Furthermore, an experienced helicopter lawyer investigates the crash. Though the defendants’ attorneys may try to place the blame on each other or even on you, we will get to the bottom of the cause of the accident so that we may recover an appropriate award for you or on behalf of your loved one.

Helicopter-Related Injuries

Helicopter injuries could be extensive, and may not always occur because of an accident. You could suffer spinal cord injuries, whiplash and muscular problems should the helicopter run into turbulence and throw you around inside — even if you are strapped in. If you happen to hit your head on something hard in a helicopter crash or turbulent flying, you could also suffer a concussion. If you think you may be injured, but are not sure, it’s always a good idea to visit your doctor or an emergency room.

Why Pick Davis Levin Livingston

In addition to our personal injury and accident experience, our team works with legal engineers, aviation engineers, accident investigators, and helicopter crash experts to determine what caused the crash. We use this information to strengthen your case and make sure you get a fair settlement or to help us in litigation your case should you decide not to settle. We remain aggressive and focused throughout the case to ensure we have the proper information needed to get you the best outcome possible.

If you have been in a helicopter crash in Hawaii or you're lost a loved one due to a helicopter crash, contact us as soon as possible to discuss your rights and the desired outcome of your case.

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