How Long Does it Take to Settle a Helicopter Aviation Accident Case?

Helicopters and airplanes make our lives easier and more enjoyable in many ways. We can travel to any country in the world, or be flown to a specialized hospital for emergency treatment. But aircrafts can also crash, explode, or malfunction, which can lead to injuries and fatalities for the people on board. Fatalities, in fact, are sadly common with planes and helicopters, even at low heights or right after takeoff. With this is mind, major airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and private plane owners have the highest duty of care to ensure the safety of their pilots and passengers. If they are negligent in their duty, they may be sued by the accident victims for monetary compensation.

Have you been injured, or lost a loved one to an aviation accident? Maybe you’re working with a lawyer already, or have just begun to look into your legal options. Either way, you must have many questions on your mind, including, “How long will it take to settle my case?” The timeline for an airplane or helicopter accident case may vary from a few months to several years. It’s a wide range, and there are many factors that affect how long your case will take to resolve. We will discuss some of these issues today, but the information we provide you is for general purposes only. To get a better sense of what your case will entail, please speak with the attorneys of Normandie Law Firm.

How Long Does it Take for a Helicopter Accident Case to Settle?
Frankly, clients are in it for the long haul when it comes to aviation accident lawsuits. We’ve had cases that settled in a matter of months, but those generally involved minor injuries with minimal long-term damages. The majority of helicopter crashes result in serious injuries, including death, and such circumstances merit large amounts of compensation. When a case is worth hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, the liable parties fight hard against any claims for monetary funds.

These parties include helicopter manufacturers, like Airbus, Sikorsky, Boeing, and Robinson. Then, there’s the pilot and the aviation company that they work for. Lawyers for these entities are extremely skilled at rejecting claims, usually by putting the blame or someone or something else. Alternatively, they’ll offer insultingly low settlements that are insufficient for the victim’s suffering. Such bad faith tactics are the reason so many victims have come to us throughout the years. Some are passengers who have been injured during a helicopter ride. Others have lost a family member or loved one to a helicopter crash and need help with a wrongful death compensation claim.

Our attorneys are ready to take aggressive action on your behalf, and will not rest until you are receive a fair settlement for your accident. However, it can take up to several years to get there, depending on the legal actions that we need to take on your behalf. Once a lawsuit is filed, we have to prepare for the possibility of going to trial. That requires a lot of work, such as:

• Deposing witnesses and gathering statements.
• Hiring medical and aviation experts to testify on your behalf.
• Investigating your accident and collecting the needed evidence.

Fortunately, over 90% of our cases are settled before the trial date, usually through mediation or arbitration. But it can still take over a year from the date of your lawsuit in order to get to that point. This is why it can take 2 or more years to settle a helicopter crash lawsuit.

How Long Does it Take for an Aviation Accident Case to Settle?
This question can actually be asked in two ways, depending on the ownership of the aircraft:

• How long do I have to wait to get paid in a lawsuit against an airline?
• How long do I have to wait in a lawsuit against a privately owned airplane company?

Let’s start with major airlines like Delta, United, and Air Canada, who have an army of experienced attorney on their side. They also have a reputation and brand image that they want to uphold. Crashes and other accidents that result in injuries or death will not enhance their reputation among travelers. In short, you can expect a fight from these companies, especially if you’re filing a wrongful death claim or have serious, life-altering injuries.

If you were hurt in a privately owned airplane, your case may settle faster since these individuals or companies have fewer resources than major airline. Still, these parties have a lot to lose if they accept liability in a plane crash accident. These entities will typically offer low settlements in order to reduce their liability, and the resulting negotiations can take up to a year. The good news is, they’re less willing than major airlines to go to trial, which is very expensive and time-consuming. It’s possible to agree on a settlement and close the case in less than a year for accidents with privately owned planes. But we’ve also had cases that took several years, so it all depends on the complexity of your accident, and whether we can settle things without a lawsuit.

How Do I Know if I Should Accept a Settlement?
When it comes down to it, you are the only one who can truly decide on a settlement offer. We do know that first offers for aviation accidents are generally insufficient, and this is understandable. These companies want to reject your claim, and if they can’t do that, they’ll try to pay you as little as possible. An experienced helicopter or plane crash attorney is invaluable in this situation. Clients assume they’re getting a good deal when they see a certain number on paper. But an aviation accident results in many financial and emotional losses. When we calculate a client’s settlement award, here are some of the losses we include:

• Medical expenses for physical injuries
• Pain and suffering for emotional trauma
• Cost of therapy to deal with PTSD, depression, and other mental health issues
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Lost wages from job loss or time off from work
• Punitive damages

Punitive damages is particularly relevant in plane and helicopter crash settlements. They’re awarded by the courts as a way to punish the responsible parties for outrageous conduct or neglect that led to your accident. You will need a knowledgeable aviation lawsuit attorney to assist you with punitive damages, as they are very difficult to win. Our lawyers have the skill to recover punitive damages and will fight to bring you every type of compensation you are entitled to.

Family members and loved ones of crash victims can also recover losses through a wrongful death compensation claim. The damages we ask for vary depending on your relationship to the decedent, but in general, here is what we can request:

• Medical bills associated with the decedent’s care.
• Funeral or burial expenses
• Loss of expected income, benefits, and gifts from the decedent.
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of consortium

Loss of consortium is a special type of damage that compensates spouses and domestic partners for the loss of their significant other’s love, support, and companionship. This is a non-economic form of compensation and includes damages like loss of sexual relations and loss of future children.

You can see there are a lot of losses that need to be covered when you are injured in, or lose someone to an aviation accident. Our lawyers can help you determine the value of these losses, not just for now, but long into the future. They can also advise you on the pros and cons of accepting an offer and help you decide how far you want to pursue your case.

If you have any questions at all about your case value or whether or not you should accept an offer, please don’t hesitate to call us. We can address these topics during a free consultation and advise you on the best course of action for your compensation claim.

I Want to Change Lawyers – Is it too Late?
It’s never too late to change attorneys during a personal injury or wrongful death case. But whether or not you should make the switch is a different matter. Are you unhappy with your lawyer’s lack of communication or their lack of progress in your case? Do you feel like your case is worth more than what they’re telling you? If so, we invite you to come in for a free second opinion consultation. Your concerns are important to us, and we will be happy to review the work that’s been done on your case.

We can also review your contract and make sure you are aware of the consequences for transferring your case to another firm. If you decide to work with us, we will take care of the necessary details with your current attorney and make the process as smooth and easy as possible.

Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements

The Aviation Accident Attorneys of Normandie
The damages from an aircraft accident are tremendous for not only the victims but also their families and loved ones. Various parties may be responsible in these accidents, ranging from the airline to the helicopter or plane manufacturer. Injured victims have a right to sue these parties for compensation, but they seldom achieve success on their own. If you’ve been involved in a plane or helicopter crash, or any other kind of aviation accident, contact the lawyers of Normandie without delay.

You do not need to worry about legal fees when you come to see us, as we work on a contingency fee basis. There is upfront cost to you at any point, since we only get paid if we win your case. That’s a promise under our Zero fee guarantee, which applies to second opinion clients as well. If you’re thinking of changing attorneys, please come and see us so that we can review your case and help you make an informed decision.

Our law firm handles aviation cases involving all major airlines, including:

• Air Canada
• AirTran Airways
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• American Eagle Airlines
• American South Airlines
• United Continental
• Delta Airlines
• Express Jet Airlines
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Mesa Airlines
• Pinnacle Airlines
• SkyWest Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines
• US Airways
• WestJet

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Average Value of a Helicopter Crash Lawsuit
Aviation Accident Attorney