January, 1994
A Cleveland, Ohio, jury awarded $8.1 million to the family of a prominent hand surgeon who died, and his wife who was seriously injured, when USAir Flight 405, bound for Cleveland, crashed immediately after takeoff on March 22, 1992, at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The LaGuardia plane crash killed 27 people and injured 24. David E. Rapoport represented the surgeon’s wife and family in this aviation negligence case, the first wrongful death and personal injury case to be filed as a result of this disaster. At the time, this was the largest verdict in a wrongful death case in Ohio. The jury awarded $7.35 million for the death of the surgeon and $750,000 for the personal injuries sustained by his wife.
When asked about this aviation negligence case, Mr. Rapoport said, “The tragedy of this case is that established de-icing procedures were grossly ignored and as a result, doomed the flight when the crew advanced the throttles on an airplane that had ice and snow covering its wings. While no amount of money can justify the loss of this gifted and beloved surgeon who was in the prime of his life, the award does send a powerful message to the airlines — de-icing is serious business and failure to follow the defined procedures can have serious and tragic consequences.”
This aviation negligence case for the flight 405 crash was profiled on the 60 Minutes television program and included an interview with Mr. Rapoport. The case was covered by newspaper and radio reporters as well.
Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, Illinois. The personal injury attorneys at Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. have achieved multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for individuals with lawsuits arising from medical malpractice, product liability, semitruck and motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries and construction accidents in Illinois and Wisconsin. Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. premier aviation negligence lawyers represent victims of commercial and general aviation disasters nationwide.
If you feel you may be in need of legal services, personally email an attorney from Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. for a free case evaluation or telephone our Chicago office toll free at 866-693-3806.
