The family of a former Leicester City owner, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2018, has initiated a significant lawsuit against the manufacturer of the aircraft. The claim, valued at £2.15 billion, is being directed at the Italian aerospace and defense company responsible for producing the helicopter. This lawsuit represents the largest fatal accident claim in English legal history.
The crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff outside the football club’s stadium, claimed the lives of the 60-year-old businessman and four others. The family’s legal action seeks compensation for loss of earnings and other damages, citing mechanical failure as the primary cause of the fatal accident. According to a detailed report, a worn ball bearing in the tail rotor led to a catastrophic loss of control, resulting in the helicopter spinning uncontrollably before crashing and erupting in flames.
Four of the five individuals onboard initially survived the impact but tragically lost their lives as the aircraft became engulfed in fire within seconds. The report, published years after the accident, described the incident as a preventable tragedy, attributing the mechanical failure to inadequate maintenance and design flaws.
The family of the deceased has expressed profound grief and a sense of betrayal, emphasizing that the helicopter was purchased with full trust in the manufacturer’s safety standards. The loss has had a lasting impact on the family, not only emotionally but also in terms of the financial implications for the businesses left behind. The deceased was a driving force behind a highly successful enterprise that generated billions in annual revenue. His leadership, vision, and relationships were integral to the company’s achievements, and his untimely death has left a void that cannot be filled.
The legal team representing the family argues that the helicopter manufacturer should be held fully accountable for the sequence of mechanical failures that led to the crash. They assert that the failure of a critical component in the tail rotor initiated a chain reaction of malfunctions, ultimately causing the catastrophic accident.
The lawsuit seeks to address the financial losses resulting from the absence of the entrepreneur’s leadership. The company he founded had achieved substantial revenue and profit figures prior to the incident, and the family believes this success was directly tied to his unique abilities and reputation. The claim underscores the devastating economic and personal toll of the tragedy, which has left a lasting legacy of grief and loss for those closest to him.
The manufacturer has yet to issue a public statement regarding the lawsuit. An inquest into the crash is set to begin soon, with the aim of further examining the circumstances surrounding the accident and determining whether negligence or oversight played a role in the mechanical failures identified in the report.
