As the nation mourns the tragic death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter GiGi, and seven other people, the investigation into the underlying cause or causes of the deadly helicopter crash is now underway. The crash occurred on Sunday, January 26, at about 9:45 in the morning. The flight had only been in the air for about 45 minutes before the crash. Before boarding the chopper, Bryant and his daughter had stopped by the Catholic parish church his family often attends to say prayers before their journey. The helicopter went down in a field in Calabasas in Los Angeles County.
The investigation of the horrific helicopter crash highlights what must happen in the aftermath of a tragic accident to ascertain who or what is at fault. This type of effort is important for an array of different reasons. These reasons include supporting a claim for compensation for people injured in an accident of some type or for financial recovery to family members killed in an accident.
Who Investigates the Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash?
For the purposes of identifying the accident primarily discussed here, the term “Kobe Bryant helicopter crash,” or something similar, is used. This is not intended to minimize the deaths of people on the chopper and the losses of their respective families.
As oftentimes is the case following a catastrophic accident, including aviation and automobile accidents, multiple governmental agencies are involved in the post-incident investigation. A number of governmental agencies immediately became involved in the investigation of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash.
Two federal government agencies have already launched extensive investigations into the Bryant chopper crash: Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. In addition, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, as well as the Medical Examiner, are involved in the investigation.
At this time, there are some general hypotheses about what may be underlying the catastrophic crash. With that said, a final determination of the accident cause may take some time to achieve.
What are the Possible Causes of Chopper Crash?
At the present time, investigators believe that a number of possible causes for the helicopter accident likely are at play. The reality is that in many aviation accidents as well as in automobile collisions, more than one underlying cause ultimately may be found at play. In the case of the Bryant crash, investigators are considering causes that include:
- Weather
- Mechanical defect or breakdown
- Human error
- Lack of proper maintenance
Role of Aviation Accident Lawyer after a Crash
The helicopter crash involving Kobe Bryant is illustrative of a type of situation in which passengers in an automobile or smaller aircraft might have to file a claim for compensation for injuries against a friend or family member’s insurance company. This might occur if a crash occurred in a small aircraft or an automobile owned, leased, or chartered by a friend, family member, or colleague.
On the surface, this certainly can be an uncomfortable situation. However, it is important to understand that owners of a vehicle or privately owned aircraft maintain insurance in part for a situation in which their own passengers are injured, even fatally so. Bryant did not personally own the helicopter in which he and others perished although he was responsible for chartering it on behalf of himself and the other passengers.
If you’ve been injured in some type of aviation accident or incident, the complexities of pursuing appropriate claims against all responsible parties can be highly challenging. For that reason, you need to be proactive in obtaining professional assistance from a skilled aviation accident lawyer, like a member of the legal team at The Doan Law Firm. The same need for experienced legal counsel exists if you’ve lost a loved one in an aviation accident or incident of some sort.
We have a 24-hour hotline for accident victims at (800) 349-0000 that is staffed 365 days a year. A nationwide law practice, our aviation accident lawyer team represents clients from coast-to-coast. There is no charge for an initial consultation. In addition, our firm makes an attorney fee promise you. We never charge a fee unless we win for you.