For families whose lives are forever changed by an aviation disaster, the pursuit of accountability extends far beyond the courtroom. In an interview with Lawdragon, Tracy A. Brammeier, partner at Clifford Law Offices, reflects on her work representing victims of some of the world’s most devastating aviation tragedies, the responsibility that comes with that work, and how civil litigation helps drive meaningful safety improvements.
Over the course of her career, Tracy Brammeier has played a significant role in many of the firm’s most consequential aviation cases, including litigation arising from the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, where she served as Liaison Counsel, and the litigation surrounding the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door plug incident. She is also part of the teams representing multiple families in litigation stemming from the 2025 midair collision between American Eagle Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. In her conversation with Lawdragon, she reflects on how that work began with the Colgan Air Flight 3407 litigation while she was still a law clerk, an experience that helped shape a career focused on complex aviation cases.
In the interview, Tracy explains that aviation cases are unlike any other because they involve not only catastrophic loss, but also a profound breach of public trust.
“With aviation cases, there’s a sense of betrayal because there’s such a huge system that is supposed to make travel by plane safe and safer than any other method of travel.”
That perspective continues to shape her work. She notes that civil litigation plays an important role in uncovering failures, holding corporations accountable, and driving meaningful safety improvements, particularly when regulatory compliance alone is not enough to protect the public.
The interview also highlights her work alongside the firm’s renowned aviation attorneys, Robert A. Clifford and Kevin P. Durkin. Years of mentorship and collaboration on complex litigation have shaped the meticulous preparation and trial-ready approach that defines her work today.
When asked what continues to motivate her, Tracy says that while no legal outcome can erase tragedy, meaningful advocacy can help families find peace while creating lasting changes that make future travel safer.
“We can’t fix it. But we can help them at least be in a place where they can start to make peace with it themselves and move on.”
Click here to read Tracy’s full interview with Lawdragon.