Aviation

On September 7, 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) introduced new rules that ensure the independence of safety inspectors hired by airline companies such as Boeing. Under the Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act engineers can be hired by companies through Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) to supplement government resources. In the past, these engineers have faced pressure from large companies despite having the task of carrying out government-regulated safety oversight inspections, stating their inability to raise…

Boeing Agrees to Pay $200 Million SEC Fine for Misleading Public About Known Defective 737 MAX Aircraft; Lead Plaintiffs’ Counsel Robert Clifford Calls for Full Investigation to Determine if Actions Rose to the Level of Criminal Conduct Aircraft giant Boeing agreed Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, to pay a hefty $200 million in fines for misleading the public about the safety of its 737 MAX aircraft that crashed twice, leaving 346 people dead in 2018 and…

Kevin P. Durkin, partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been selected by Best Lawyers® as the 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” in the Chicago area for Aviation Law. “Lawyer of the Year” is a significant distinction awarded to a single lawyer with the highest overall peer feedback across each practice area and metropolitan area. Recipients are selected based on the rank of voting averages received during the peer review assessments. This designation reflects the high…

A China Eastern Boeing 737-800 crashed in southern China on Monday, March 21, 2022, killing all 123 on board, according to media reports around the world. This twin-engine plane, part of a fleet that was in use since 2015, reportedly went down in a forested area minutes after something went wrong following a deep dive from about 30,000 feet, according to FlightRadar24.com, a flight-tracking data website. “We need to know more information before any conclusions…

The families of the victims who were killed in the March 10, 2019 plane crash of a Boeing 737 MAX in Ethiopia gather Thursday, March 10th, 2022 in two countries to try to continue to hold Boeing responsible for the deaths of all 157 on board and to bring attention to a bill recently introduced in the Illinois legislature. After the in-person Chicago event concludes at 11:30 am CST, a Zoom Press Conference will be…

Families of Victims of 737 Boeing Max Plane Crash to Mark Third-Year Anniversary in Protest in Toronto, Canada, and at Boeing HQ in Chicago Thursday, March 10th — Zoom Press Conference to Follow The families of the victims who were killed in the March 10, 2019 plane crash of a Boeing 737 MAX in Ethiopia will gather Thursday, March 10th, 2022 in two countries to try to continue to hold Boeing responsible for the deaths…

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing analyzes the investigation against the global airplane manufacturer following two significant crashes that resulted in the deaths of 346 people, the toxic culture of greed within the company, and the outrage and distress still felt by families of the victims. In the creation of her documentary which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and that premiered on Netflix Jan. 21, 2022, filmmaker Rory Kennedy publicizes the serious crimes and negligence…

Aviation accident law covers both major air carriers (commercial airlines) and general aviation accidents. General aviation includes charter flights, small planes, pleasure crafts, large business jets, helicopters, and hang gliders. It is a combination of personal injury and wrongful death litigation that involves complex aviation laws, regulations, and international treaties. It is so intricate that only a select group of lawyers practice aviation law.  In the last 40+ years, Clifford Law Offices has represented victims…

The tragic crash of a Gulfstream IV-SP that killed all nine aboard on December 15, 2021, at Santo Domingo’s airport is the same type of aircraft that was involved in a crash at Chicago’s Palwaukee Airport that killed all three on board in 1996. Clifford Law Offices represented two of the three in that crash: the co-pilot of the corporate jet and a passenger. Robert A. Clifford and Richard F. Burke, partners at the firm,…