Aviation Accidents

In this video, aviation accident attorney and veteran pilot Mike Danko explains why aircraft crash litigation requires a level of specialization far beyond standard personal injury law. Aviation cases are governed by a complex web of FAA regulations, NTSB investigations, and international treaties like the Montreal Convention.

When a tragedy occurs, manufacturers and insurance adjusters often default to “pilot error” to avoid liability. As a pilot with over 30 years of flight experience, Mike Danko identifies the technical realities that investigators might miss—from mechanical failures and design defects to negligent maintenance.

Danko Meredith is one of the few firms in the country with the technical resources to challenge industry giants like Boeing or Cessna. We specialize in decoding flight data recorders (black boxes) and reconstructing wreckage to uncover the truth. If you are seeking a wrongful death attorney for an aviation disaster, you need a lawyer who speaks the language of aviation. Contact our California-based firm for a comprehensive case evaluation.

Contact Danko Meredith today for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless they win your case.

 

Key Takeaways

  1. Dual-Expertise (Lawyer & Pilot): Mike Danko has been a pilot for over 30 years and has owned multiple aircraft. This “cockpit perspective” allows him to understand flight mechanics and pilot operations in a way that non-pilot attorneys simply cannot.
  2. Challenging the “Pilot Error” Narrative: The firm specializes in looking beyond the easy explanation of pilot negligence. They have a successful track record of proving that accidents were actually caused by defective components or faulty maintenance, shifting liability back to the manufacturers and service facilities.
  3. Technical Sophistication: Danko Meredith has the capability to analyze “black box” electronics and complex flight data. This technical fluency is critical when going “toe-to-toe” with federal agencies like the FAA and NTSB.
  4. Resource-Backed Litigation: Aviation cases are notoriously expensive to litigate. The firm emphasizes that they have the financial and professional resources to sustain long-term legal battles against global aerospace corporations and their high-powered defense teams.
  5. Jurisdictional Mastery: Aviation accidents often involve complex jurisdictional hurdles (where to file a lawsuit). The firm’s expertise in international treaties and federal preemption ensures that victims’ families don’t lose their day in court due to procedural technicalities.

 

Transcript

Aviation law is a very specialized area of the law. It’s not just personal injury law applied to an airplane crash. There are a whole host of federal regulations, international treaties, and state laws that come into play whenever there is an aviation accident.

I’ve been a pilot for over 30 years. I’ve owned several different types of aircraft, and I’ve been representing victims of aviation accidents for just as long. When there is a crash, the first thing the insurance companies and the manufacturers do is they point the finger at the pilot. They say it’s ‘pilot error.’ And sometimes it is. But many times, it’s not. Many times, it’s a defect in the aircraft, it’s a failure of a component, or it’s a problem with the maintenance.

To find out what really happened, you have to be able to go toe-to-toe with the NTSB, the FAA, and the manufacturers like Boeing, Cessna, or Cirrus. You have to understand the mechanics of flight, you have to understand the wreckage, and you have to understand the electronics—the ‘black boxes’—and what they’re telling us.

At Danko Meredith, we have a unique advantage because we understand the perspective of the pilot, but we also have the legal expertise to navigate the complex jurisdictional issues that arise. Whether it’s a small general aviation plane or a large commercial airliner, these cases are always a battle. We have the resources and the technical knowledge to win that battle and make sure that the families who have lost loved ones get the answers and the justice they deserve.