- Remember those lawsuits over Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle’s plane crashing into an apartment building? (Mar. 2, Apr. 4). Well, the NTSB has issued its final report on the plane crash, and came to the shocking conclusion that poor piloting was involved. But, despite the NTSB’s expertise, it wasn’t able to determine whether Lidle or his instructor, Tyler Stanger, was doing the piloting.
Does anyone think that the NTSB’s findings, or failure to uncover this information, will affect in any way the progress of the lawsuits which depend on the answer? (Does anyone think that it will in any way prevent the litigants from finding hired gun experts to testify as to who was piloting?) It seems unlikely:
The Lidle and Stanger families are suing the plane’s manufacturer, and their lawyer criticized the NTSB’s conclusions.
“It’s not surprising, the Safety Board always blames the pilot in an accident,” said the lawyer, Todd Macaluso. The families fault the plane’s steering mechanism, though the NTSB found no evidence of system, structure or engine malfunction.
- If you choose to flee from police at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour on well-traveled roads, and the police try to stop you, the Supreme Court sensibly says that you can’t sue the police for violating your constitutional rights when you get injured as a result. (Previously covered: Feb. 27)
The Supreme Court vote was 8-1, but what was apparently the decisive evidence was that the police officer had a video of the chase (Realmedia), which the Justices were able to review for themselves. If they had been forced to rely upon the description of events by the various parties, the officer would probably have been forced to go to trial.
- Remember that story of the New York City subway hero who sued his attorney because he claimed that the contract he signed with her to exploit his publicity was unfair? (Overlawyered, Mar. 28) Well, reader Phil Grossman points us to this update:
The lawyer who’s getting sued for allegedly using “undue influence” to sign Subway Superman Wesley Autrey into a bad deal says she’s the victim – and now she’s suing him.
Diane Kleiman has filed counterclaims against the selfless hero, charging him with breach of contract. She’s also seeking money for her legal fees and “damages to her reputation.”
“They’re making me look like a shyster. I’m not a shyster,” Kleiman told The Post. “I’m not money hungry. This is not who I am.
I’m pretty sure that being forced to publicly deny that you’re a shyster is a bad thing, reputationwise.
Updates – May 2nd
Remember those lawsuits over Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle’s plane crashing into an apartment building? (Mar. 2, Apr. 4). Well, the NTSB has issued its final report on the plane crash, and came to the shocking conclusion that poor piloting was involved. But, despite the NTSB’s expertise, it wasn’t able to determine whether Lidle or his […]
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