In Multnomah County, the family of Ruth Reimann has filed an Oregon wrongful death lawsuit. Reimann, of Portland, was fatally injured on August 4, 2008 when a small plane crashed into the vacation home they were staying at in the coastal town of Gearhart. Her children – Chris, 13, Sarah, 11, and Julia, 10 – were injured in, but survived, the tragedy.
Early that morning, the Cessna 172 dove through the house and burst into flames. Following the airplane accident, Ruth spent weeks in Portland at the Oregon Burn Center at Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health for treatment of their burn injuries before she died.
Also killed in the Oregon airplane accident were pilot Jason Ketcheson, passenger Frank Toohey, and siblings 12-year-old Hesam Farrar Masoudi and 8-year-old Grace Masoudi. The children were at the home of the Reimanns when the deadly aviation accident happened.
The Oregon wrongful death complaint accuses Ketcheson of negligence for flying the aircraft while under the influence of prescription sleep medication Ambien. The lawsuit is also suing Greg and Nancy Marshall, who are the owners of the Gearhart vacation home, for failing to make sure that all the windows on the second floor and in the bedrooms could be opened. The Reimann’s relatives are seeking unspecified damages for their wrongful deaths.
Plane Accidents
Airplane crashes are usually catastrophic accidents resulting in serious injuries and deaths to passengers and crew members. Depending on the location of the crash site, a plane crash can also claim the lives of residents, motorists, pedestrians, and patrons on the ground.
Common causes of aviation accidents:
• Pilot error or negligence
• Defective equipment
• Poor maintenance
• Plane design problems
• Air traffic controller mistakes
• Repair negligence
• Defective plane parts
• Third party negligence
There is a lot to know about how to properly pursue your Oregon plane accident recovery. Your Portland personal injury attorney should be familiar with the different laws and safety regulations that govern Oregon plane crashes, including the Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Lawsuit filed in Oregon Coast plane crash that killed five, OregonLive.com, February 17, 2009
Gearhart plane crash family files lawsuit, Daily Astorian, February 18, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Federal Aviation Administration
Plane Accidents, Justia