Aviation attorneys at the Chicago-based law firm Clifford Law Offices have filed pre-case claims against the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army regarding the Jan. 29 midair collision in Washington D.C.
The claims were filed Tuesday on behalf of the widow and three children of Casey Crafton of Salem, Connecticut, who died in the collision over the Potomac River. Crafton was on board the CRJ-700 aircraft.
Clifford Law Offices stated in a news release the $250 million in claims are directed against multiple government agencies that it says may be responsible.
The law firm filed a government-issued “Form 95” against the federal government and FAA for wrongful death allegedly caused by a federal employee’s negligence or wrongful act occurring within the scope of the employee’s federal employment.
Clifford Law cited the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reporting that staffing in the tower of air traffic controllers was “not normal” at the time of the collision and that there were communication issues between the air traffic control and the aircraft.
“The government now has six months to act upon the claims, and if rejected or not acted upon within that time, plaintiffs have the right in the next two years to file lawsuits in federal district court that would be heard by a judge,” the release stated. “Jury trials are not allowed in civil wrongful death actions against the government.”
Clifford Law further said that the notice of a claim against the FAA was sent to the agency on Tuesday. A pre-case Form 95 claim also was filed Tuesday against the U.S. Army at its Fort Meade, Maryland, offices.
Robert Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law offices, sent overnight mail preservation letters to American Airlines and its regional carrier, PSA, to preserve all evidence in the midair crash. He also sent preservation letters to Sikorsky Aircraft – the manufacturer of the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash – and Collins Aerospace.
“Clifford Law Offices also has initiated an investigation into potential claims of willful neglect by the airlines for the many years of congestion of commercial aircraft and helicopters that went ignored in the air space near Reagan National Airport,” the release stated.
Clifford gained notoriety as the lead counsel in the pending litigation regarding the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet in Ethiopia six years ago.
Crafton, who was 40, studied aviation management in college at Bob Jones University, where he met his wife, Rachel. The release stated he was returning from Wichita, Kansas, on a business trip working as a technical support manager at Guardian Jet, an aviation consulting firm.
“Casey was an incredible human being,” Clifford said. “He was a giver. He was a loving husband and father. He enjoyed coaching his boys on their youth soccer and little league baseball teams. They will be grieving him for the rest of their lives that will never be the same. This crash involves complex matters, and the family deserves answers as to what happened to their loved one.”
