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Lieff Global, LLP, Announces Families of Victims of Gol Airlines Flight 1907 Have Filed Suit Against ExcelAire Service and Honeywell International in United States District Court
Press Conference on Lawsuit to be Held November 7, 2006 in Brasilia
November 6, 2006, New York, NY -- American law firms Lieff Global and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein announced that family members of ten passengers on Gol Airlines Flight 1907 who were killed after the aircraft collided with an aircraft owned and operated by ExcelAire Service, Inc. ("ExcelAire") filed a lawsuit today in Federal court in New York City against ExcelAire and Honeywell International Inc. ("Honeywell").
One hundred and forty eight passengers and six crew members died on September 29, 2006, when the Gol Airlines aircraft plunged nose-first into the Amazon rainforest after colliding with the ExcelAire aircraft. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages against ExcelAire and Honeywell for their negligence.
"Although official investigations of the Gol Airlines tragedy are ongoing, sufficient evidence presently exists to allege that negligence by ExcelAire and Honeywell were substantial factors contributing to the fatal collision," stated Robert L. Lieff, founding partner of Lieff Global.
Brazilian attorney Leonardo Amarante, whose law firm is working in partnership with Lieff Global, commented, "The families of this horrible tragedy are asserting their rights under United States law against ExcelAire and Honeywell to ensure that all facts surrounding the accident are uncovered and that such a disaster is never repeated."
Nigel Taylor, an attorney with Lieff Global based in London and one of the most experienced aviation law attorneys in the world, stated, "This lawsuit holds out great hope for the victims’ families to hold all responsible parties accountable and obtain fair compensation. We have assembled a top notch, global team of attorneys and aviation experts to prosecute the case."
Families whose
loved ones died in the Gol airlines
crash are welcome to contact
an aviation lawyer at Lieff Global by
email in English or Portugese to learn
more about their legal rights. Lieff
Global, along with co-counsel, is representing
families whose loved ones died in the
Gol Airlines tragedy. We welcome the opportunity to answer
your questions free of charge, without
obligation and in strict confidence.
Or call 1-415-788-8000 and ask to speak to attorney Lexi Hazam.
Hans-Peter Graf, a veteran commercial pilot and former investigator in charge at the Swiss Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau who specializes in flight operation and human factors, has been retained by Lieff Global to work on the case.
The complaint charges that the pilots of the ExcelAire jet were flying at an incorrect altitude at the time of the collision, failed to operate the jet’s transponder and radio equipment properly, and failed to maintain communication with Brazilian air traffic control in violation of international civil aviation standards. If the pilots of the ExcelAire aircraft had followed these standards, the collision would not have occurred.
At the time of the collision, the ExcelAire aircraft’s transponder was not functioning. A transponder is the component part that transmits a plane’s altitude and operates its automatic anti-collision system. Honeywell shares responsibility for the tragedy, the complaint alleges, because it defectively designed the transponder on the ExcelAire jet, and failed to warn of dangers resulting from foreseeable uses of the transponder.
Press Conference
On Tuesday, November 7, 2006, at 11 a.m. local time, attorneys Robert L. Lieff and Lexi
Hazam will hold a press conference on the filing of the lawsuit, discuss their investigation of the Gol Airlines Flight 1907 accident and explain the grounds for the liability of ExcelAire and Honeywell. Family members of victims of the tragedy will participate in addition to Leonardo Amarante and Hans-Peter Graf.
The press conference will
occur in Brasilia at the Hotel San Marco, Sector Hoteleiro
Sur - Quadra 5, BL: C, Auditorio Reservado Para Coletiva: LOB
01 -- Terreo. For further information on the press conference,
please contact Lexi Hazam by e-mail at lhazam@lieffglobal.com.
Contact Information For Families
Families whose loved ones died in the Gol Airlines disaster are welcome to contact any of the following attorneys for information:
Rua Primeiro de Marco, nº 23
5º andar
Centro - Rio de Janeiro
CEP: 20010.000
Telefax: 2507-4195
Information for families on their legal rights is available without charge or obligation and is provided in the strictest confidence.
Members of the media that wish to obtain a copy of the complaint should contact Stephen Cassidy at scassidy@lchb.com.
Source/Contact:
Lexi Hazam at 001 415-806-2968.
About Lieff Global
Lieff Global, LLP, is an AV-rated law
firm with offices in San Francisco and New York, and affiliate
offices worldwide. Our representation has included both Americans
and people residing in Europe and Asia in aviation lawsuits
filed worldwide.
Lieff Global is uniquely positioned
to answer your questions and represent your interests. Our
attorneys have over forty years of experience litigating airplane
crash cases worldwide. We have relationships with the foremost
experts in the fields of aviation safety and disaster analysis.
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