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Los Angeles Judge Approves Settlement for Plane Crash Victim’s Family

A judge in a Los Angeles court this week approved a multimillion dollar legal settlement of a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a man who was killed in the plane crash that also seriously injured former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker.

Chris Baker was Travis Barker’s assistant. In September 2008, Baker was traveling with Barker, and musician Adam Goldstein also known as DJ AM, who recently died of an accidental overdose. As the plane was leaving a South Carolina airport runway, one of the tires blew out, causing the plane to go out of control and explode into flames. Both Goldstein and Travis Barker suffered serious burn injuries, and took months to recover from their injuries. Chris Baker and another man, as well as the two pilots of the plane, died in the plane crash.

Baker’s wife filed a lawsuit against a number of parties involved in the crash. These included Learjet Inc., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and other parties who were involved in owning and operating the plane. A Los Angeles judge has now approved a settlement that will pay for the college education of Chris Baker’s three-year-old son. A sum of $70 million will be paid out to the boy throughout his lifetime. Baker’s widow will receive more than $7.6 million as her part of the settlement.

A National Transportation Safety Board Investigation into the accident has not yet resulted in a report. However, investigators have mentioned that the plane’s reverse thrusters which can help slow the plane down, were not in position at the time of the crash.

The settlement involving Chris Baker’s family is one among numerous settlements that that have since been announced. Travis Barker has already settled with several parties involved, and the family of DJ AM also settled their plane crash lawsuit. DJ AM’s lawsuit got complicated after he died last year. The cause of his death was ruled as overdose of drugs. His mother blames the stresses brought on by the plane crash for her son’s relapse into drug addiction, and the subsequent overdose. None of the terms of the other settlements have been made public.

California wrongful death lawyers often see that families struggle with bringing a wrongful death action. For survivors of those who have been killed by the negligence of another, it’s important to understand that although any financial settlement or verdict can do nothing to bring their loved ones back or ease the pain of their loss, it can help take care of the financial and other needs of those that were left behind. When the deceased leaves behind a family including children, the needs of the survivors multiply manifold. There’s education of the children to pay for, and their future to secure. This is besides the day-to-day living expenses that the family was earlier dependent on the deceased for. A wrongful death settlement cannot bring back those lost, but it can make the stresses of moving on in life without them, a little easier.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of aviation accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us. We have a Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawyer standing by.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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