On Monday, June 10th, a helicopter crashed on the roof of a Midtown Manhattan office high-rise at 1:43 p.m. Only the pilot was aboard the helicopter when it came down on top of 787 Seventh Ave, a 51-story building located between West 51st and West 52nd streets, at the north end of Times Square.
The incident, close to the Rockefeller Center, sent emergency response vehicles swarming to the building and immediately evoked memories of the 9/11 attacks for many concerned New Yorkers.
Since then, law enforcement officials have stated that they believe the crash was the result of a combination of mechanical failure and poor weather conditions. The pilot radioed that he was in trouble to local air traffic control, and authorities speculate that he crashed into the top of the building to spare innocent lives on the ground. The building had no helipad feature on its roof.
Legal Ramifications and Questions
The common question after accidents like this is typically the same: who is liable when someone is injured or killed? Liability can depend on several different factors, including the circumstances leading to the accident, and injuries or deaths suffered by individuals as a result.
It is entirely plausible for multiple parties be held liable in the event of an helicopter crash. These parties include but are not limited to:
- The owner of the helicopter.
- The maintenance company responsible for servicing the helicopter.
- The manufacturer of the helicopter.
- Manufacturing companies responsible for specific pieces of equipment on the helicopter.
- Air traffic control.
- The pilot of the helicopter.
In this case, evidence suggests that both weather and mechanical failure could be contributing factors. If investigators discover that mechanical failure was, in fact, one of the reasons for the accident, then the parties responsible for that malfunction can be held responsible in a court of law.
Who is liable for the death of the pilot, and the damage to the building? Any parties found responsible for one can, in theory, be held responsible for the other.
New York City Accident Lawyers
In any accident case, the question of negligence is central to holding someone responsible for damages that are incurred. This holds true for a minor fender bender, all the way up to a helicopter crash like the one described above. It is the job of a New York accident attorney to find all the facts and evidence and prove the liability of the negligent parties.
It is important to have a veteran legal team in your corner in order to make sure someone is held accountable if you or a loved one is ever involved in an accident. The legal team at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, has won accident victims the compensation they deserve time and time again.
We here at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, express our deepest condolences to the family of the pilot, and anyone else effected by this tragic incident.