Travis Barker Files Aviation Accident Lawsuit Against California Charter Company and Goodyear
In the days since the fiery aviation accident that left him with severe burn injuries, former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has spoken to the Los Angeles entertainment media about the way his life has changed after the plane crash. He couldn’t go swimming anymore, he said, and couldn’t do so many of the things that other people find normal. So the news that the musician has filed an aviation accident lawsuit against Global Executive Aviation, the California-based company that owned the plane, and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., hasn’t really come as a surprise. The suit, filed more then two months after the plane crash also names an airplane maintenance company for its part in the September accident.
On the 19th of September, Barker, along with his assistant Chris Baker, and bodyguard Charles Monroe Still Jr., was part of a group on board a Learjet that crashed during take off at an airport in South Carolina. The plane burst into flames, leaving the former Blink-182 drummer with intense burn injuries. Both Baker and Still were killed in the crash. Barker’s lawsuit is shared with Charles Monroe Still’s mother, who is claiming compensation for grief and sorrow, funeral expenses, as well as loss of earnings. According to Huffington Post, Barker’s lawsuit names pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and medical and legal expenses. Barker spent four painful weeks in a Los Angeles hospital recovering from his extensive third degree burn injuries, before he was discharged. His recovery is far from complete, and he has asked for privacy to recover in peace at his home.
According to the lawsuit, the pilots of the plane were improperly trained, and should have attempted to take off instead of continuing down the runway until they eventually overshot it. Goodyear has been named because the plane was equipped with its tires, which were found after the plane accident to have been nearly bald, and suspected to have blown just before the airplane burst into flames. The lawsuit alleges as much, claiming that the tires failed, strewing fragments of burnt tire all along the runway. The lawsuit also alleges that components of the airplane, including the brakes, landing gear and wheels were not well maintained. Bombardier Inc., a Toronto-based airplane maintenance company, has been named in the lawsuit for poor maintenance of the aircraft.
The lawsuit is not entirely unexpected, and considering the severity of his injuries and the evidence of the plane’s poor condition, Barker looks ready to receive the compensation he’s entitled to. It appears that the musician isn’t only looking for monetary compensation, but to seek justice for the kind of suffering he underwent as a result of his burn injuries. Barker, who has two young children and blogged about his post-crash experiences on his MySpace page, has clearly been scarred physically and emotionally by the crash, and hence his need to hire a Los Angeles aviation accident lawyer to hold persons he holds responsible for his suffering, accountable.
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.
