Airplane and Helicopter Accidents
DJC Law’s Aviation Division, led by commercial-rated pilot Mark Pierce, is dedicated to investigating and proving root causes of airplane and helicopter crashes that result in injuries and death to pilots, passengers, and persons on the ground. Mark is known to the aviation industry as a tenacious professional with a record of trying and winning high-profile jury trials.
Wrongful Death and Personal Injury
Families who have suffered loss from major trucking accidents, airplane or helicopter crashes, and industrial disasters need help understanding why the catastrophe happened—and what can be done about it. A sound action plan for resolution is what you deserve, and can expect, from our attorneys. We will keep you informed as we use our experience and resources to fight for you and your family.
Aviation and Business Litigation
Aircraft owners ask DJC Law’s Aviation Division to represent them in claims arising from buyer-seller business disputes and from damage to business and personal aircraft. Claims involving aviation insurance companies, aircraft repair facilities, manufacturers, dealers, and others in the aviation realm require attorneys with experience and a depth of knowledge of aviation-related business issues.
Aviation Accident Attorneys
DJC Law aviation accidents often arise from a complex chain of events. Breaking down the cause of an airplane or helicopter crash takes hard work and experience.
Your aviation attorneys should have a firm grasp of:
- pilot training and performance
- technical issues involving aircraft design and function
- weather
- air traffic control
- maintenance and inspection requirements
- ground operations
- airport procedures and responsibilities
In addition to understanding science and technology issues, including engineering, aerodynamics, human factors, and aircraft operational limitations, your aviation attorneys must have a depth of knowledge and experience to make informed choices about where to bring a claim or file suit.
Our attorneys at DJC Law have handled cases across America, involving both domestic and international travel. It requires judgment, experience, and expertise to navigate the various federal, state, and international laws and regulations that govern aircraft operations and aircraft litigation.
Our team is experienced and committed to investigating and proving root causes of airplane and helicopter crashes that result in injuries and death to pilots, passengers, and persons on the ground.
It is frequently said that “pilot error” is the leading cause of airplane crashes and helicopter crashes. Pilot training, proficiency, and decision-making are often factors in aircraft accidents. However, aircraft accident reconstruction and analysis requires critical thought and a deep level of sophisticated investigation to determine the links in the chain of causation involved in an aircraft crash.
Whether from pilot error, aircraft malfunction, air traffic controller mistake, ground handler negligence, dangerous weather conditions, or other causes, your attorneys, working with their world-class retained experts as well as the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigators, serve their clients by digging for the truth and the “why,” not only to obtain compensation for injured parties and their families but to help prevent future accidents and system failures.
Aviation Professionals
Mark Pierce
Introduction and expertise
Mark Pierce is a highly experienced pilot and attorney with over 30 years of practice in aviation law, specializing in aviation accidents and aviation-related litigation. With a proven track record of successful jury verdicts and an extensive understanding of aviation safety, he has earned a reputation as a strong advocate for families affected by unsafe aircraft operations.
Key areas of expertise include:
· Aviation accident litigation
· Commercial and military aviation crashes
· Aviation safety regulations
· Aircraft collision avoidance
Notable achievements and case successes
Mark Pierce has represented pilots, passengers, and their families in some of the most challenging and high-profile aviation cases, achieving significant outcomes such as:
· Secured a jury verdict of over $6.7 million dollars for the family of an aircraft mechanic killed by the door of a pressurized airplane that blew open unexpectedly.
· Secured a $1.5 million jury verdict for a pilot injured in a crash that resulted from an engine failure caused by a maintenance facility’s failure to disclose faulty repairs.
· Secured a $2.0 million jury verdict for a U.S. Border Patrol agent injured in a helicopter crash because of the pilot’s loss of control from a hydraulic system failure.
Hundreds of significant settlements for victims of aviation accidents, including crashes of aircraft involving:
· Military training
· Military overseas operations
· Law enforcement helicopter operations
· Large commercial aircraft
· Medical/air ambulance
· Private jets
· Multi-engine commercial airplanes
· Single-engine commercial and private aircraft
Insightful perspective on aviation issues
With a deep knowledge of current aviation safety issues as a commercial-rated pilot and flight instructor, Mark Pierce is often sought after to provide expert commentary on aviation accident prevention and causation, including:
· Distraction from automation: accidents caused by pilots’ failure to see and avoid collisions resulting from overdependence on cockpit technology
· Safety considerations peculiar to in-flight training
· Communication challenges in airspace with both civilian and military aircraft
· Complex airspace: how geography affects safety
· Human factors limiting the “see and avoid” concept’s effectiveness
Mark Pierce has been a featured commentator in news shows and publications, discussing air crash investigations and offering an experienced pilot and aviation safety trial lawyer’s perspective on accountability for failures in the aviation realm.
Recognitions and awards
Throughout Mark Pierce’s career, he has received multiple recognitions for excellence in aviation law, including:
· Chosen to chair both the Aviation Section of the American Association for Justice and the State Bar of Texas Aviation Law Section.
· Recognition for 11 consecutive years as a Super Lawyer® in Aviation Law by Thomson Reuters
· Elected to serve as President of the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association, whose mission includes furthering the public's knowledge and understanding of aviation law, and working with governmental and civil agencies to improve general aviation safety
Andres Pereira
Introduction & Expertise
Andres Pereira is a highly experienced attorney with over 30 years of practice in aviation law, specializing in aviation accidents and aviation-related litigation. With a proven track record of dozens of successful cases including multi-million dollar recoveries and an extensive understanding of aviation safety, he has earned a reputation for deep knowledge in aircraft systems, pilot training, federal aviation regulations, meteorological factor analysis and rotor wing assemblies.
Key Areas of Expertise Include:
- Aviation Accident Litigation
- Commercial Aviation Crashes
- International Aviation Crashes
- Small Aircraft & General Aviation
- Aviation Safety Regulations
Notable Achievements and Case Successes
Andres is a current instrument rated complex fixed wing and instrument rated helicopter pilot; Andres has worked on aviation matters since he began his law studies. He represented four of the families of the 260 passengers killed when American Airlines flight 587 crashed in the Queens, NY neighborhood of Belle Harbor. All cases resulted in multi-million dollar recoveries. The American Airlines Airbus A300-600 jet left John F. Kennedy airport bound for Santo Domingo, and crashed at 9:17 a.m. EST. All 260 people on board were killed, including five infants sitting on their parents’ laps. Five people on the ground were also killed, making it one of the deadliest crashes to ever take place on American soil and the last major airline crash in the US involving an airliner size aircraft. Andres has also represented families of civil aviation crashes as well as families who lost loved ones in US Air flight 427, the crash of a Boeing 737 outside Pittsburgh and Tan-Sasha flight 414 which crashed upon landing in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Andres has extensive knowledge of the Federal Tort Claims Act and other regulations that apply to aviation accidents such as occurred in Washington, D.C.
Insightful Perspective on Aviation Issues
With a deep knowledge of current aviation safety issues, Andres Pereira is often sought after to provide expert commentary on trends, emerging issues, or news events, including:
- FAA Regulations
- Warsaw Convention/Montreal Protocol/IATA Issues
- Forum Non Conveniens and International Aviation Accidents
- Aviation Safety Regulations
- R-22 and R-44 Helicopter Systems
- Piper/Beach/Cessna Aircraft Systems
- Boeing 737 PCU Rudder Actuator Defects
- Airbus A300-600 Flight Manual and Rudder Control
Andres has been a featured commentator on CNN and local news channels and continuing legal education programs, discussing Forum Non Conveniens as applied to international air crash cases and offering practical advice to both industry professionals and the general public.