$8.1 Million Awarded to Family of LaGuardia Airplane Crash

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 crash killed 27 people and injured 24. David E. Rapoport represented the surgeon's wife and family in this 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 $7,350,000 for the death of the surgeon and $750,000 for the injuries sustained by his wife.

When asked about the case, Mr. Rapoport said, "The tragedy of this case is that established deicing 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 - deicing is serious business and failure to follow the defined procedures can have serious and tragic consequences."

This case 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.

To contact a lawyer at Rapoport Law Offices email our office, or telephone our firm at 800-545-6437 or 312-327-9880. An attorney will get back to you promptly. There is no fee to consult with one of our lawyers. Our fee is strictly based on a percentage of the amount we recover for our client. No fee is charged unless recovery is made.