The family of Connecticut man Casey Crafton has filed what are believed to be the first legal claims against the federal government over the Potomac plane crash. "I don't know who caused this crash, but I know the passengers sure didn't, and the families are entitled to answers," attorney Robert Clifford of aviation law firm Clifford Law Offices tells the New York Times. "This was preventable." The claims against the Army and the FAA over the collision between the American Airlines plane Crafton was on and an Army Black Hawk helicopter mark the start of what the Times predicts will be a "long and complex legal fight."
Crafton, a 40-year-old who worked in the aerospace industry, was one of 67 people killed in the crash last month. Clifford filed the claims on behalf of his widow and three children. The two $250 million claims were filed under a form "required before cases can be filed against the United States for property damage, personal injury or wrongful death caused by a federal employee's negligence or wrongful act," per KWCH. Clifford says he will wait until the National Transportation Safety Board issues a preliminary report before deciding whether to file claims against the companies involved.
Clifford says he has asked companies connected to the crash—including American Airlines and its subsidiary PSA—to preserve evidence. He tells the Times that the airlines were responsible for passengers' safety, especially in light of previous incidents at Reagan National Airport. "We think that the airlines knew of all these near misses, that they knew that there were these potential dangers, and under the law as the common carrier, American and PSA had the highest duty of care," Clifford says. Earlier this month, Clifford told Fox 5 that his company was speaking to around a dozen families impacted by the crash. (More Potomac plane crash stories.)
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