$3M for Airplane Accident, Engine Failure
Three people injured in a Virginia plane crash settled claims for $3 million on March 16, bringing to $10 million the total paid in the case. The plane was en route from North Carolina's Outer Banks to Ocean County when it crashed in a field in Nassawadox, Virginia on April 28, 2000.
The pilot's attorney blamed the crash on engine failure. The plane had been recalled to test for crankshaft cracks, and faulty instructions caused improper reassembly of the engine. Teledyne Continental Motors, the Mobile, Alabama based engine manufacturer, blamed the crash on pilot error and maintenance failures. The settlement pays $1.5 million to John Carey of Dover, Delaware who fractured his ankle; $750,000 to Jane Savastano of Hawthorne, who fractured her spine and ankle; and $750,000 to pilot Jack Pizzolato, of Toms River, who broke his back, neck, and right leg.
A fourth person, Wayne King of Manahawkin, who was left partially paralyzed, settled for $7 million. Of the $10 million settlement, Teledyne will pay $4.75 million; Ocean Aire Inc in Toms River, which performed the recall testing, $3 million; Pizzolato, $2 million; and Lakewood Aircraft Services in Wall, which did an annual inspection after the recall, $250,000.
(This information was obtained from the New Jersey Law Journal)
