Representing Victims of American Airlines Flight 587 Crash

The Kreindler airplane accident team continues the fight in the name of justice for victims’ families and aviation safety for the public.

Kreindler & Kreindler has taken a lead role in every major commercial aircraft accident case in which it has been involved. The crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in Belle Harbor, Queens, New York is no exception. The November 12, 2001 accident was the second deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. The firm represents by far the largest group of families of victims who were on the airplane and most of the ground victims from the neighborhood where the Airbus A300 crashed. New York partner Steve Pounian was appointed by the Court as the Chairman of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, and former Kreindler partner Blanca Rodriguez was named Liaison Counsel for the Executive Committee. Blanca has passed on the torch as Liaison Counsel to Kreindler partner Rob Spragg.

Kreindler & Kreindler chooses to take the lead in cases in which it is involved so that our clients know that the firm in which they have placed their trust is the firm working for their benefit. In the American Airlines Flight 587 case, the firm wrote and argued the crucial choice of law brief which resulted in the more generous maritime law being applied to the compensatory damages claims and New York law being applied to punitive damages claims for the ground victims.

Though most cases have settled, the firm has three of the seven remaining wrongful death cases and 13 of the 22 remaining personal injury/property damage cases involving ground victims. Steve and Rob, joined by New York partner Dan Rose, are litigating the liability and punitive damages cases for the remaining plaintiffs. The claims against Airbus focus on the design and certification of the Airbus A300’s vertical fin and the sensitivity of the rudder control system. The claims against American Airlines focus on the actions of its flight crew prior to the crash and the instruction given to American’s pilots regarding in-flight upset recovery during ground school and in simulator training.