Global Leaders in
Aviation Accident Law

Distinguished by Credentials and Experience

Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC has established its well-deserved reputation as one of the most effective and highly respected personal injury law firms in Los Angeles, and throughout the State of California. The Firm is internationally recognized for its many achievements in aviation law and is regularly involved in aviation accident litigation around the world. The California personal injury attorneys of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC have the compassion and understanding to remain sensitive to human feelings while providing support, guidance and legal representation of the highest order.

Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC has successfully obtained hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of aviation accident victims and their families in all types of aircraft accidents:

• U.S. airline accidents
• Private aircraft accidents
• International aviation accidents
• Helicopter accidents
• Sightseeing air tour accidents
• Sightseeing helicopter tour crashes
• Charter aircraft accidents
• Air medical accidents
• Air ambulance accidents
• Airplane fatalities

Examples of aviation accident causes include:

• Maintenance negligence
• Crew negligence/human factors
• Corporate negligence
• Design defects
• Defective manufacturing

Collectively, our attorneys, in their careers thus far, have conducted trials in more than 200 cases. For many years the media has turned to Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC attorneys, who have appeared more than 2,500 times on television, radio, and documentaries; and in newspapers, books and magazines including:

• The Wall Street Journal
• USA Today
• New York Times
• Washington Post
• Fortune
• Newsweek
• Larry King Live

If you or someone you know needs the skilled legal representation of an experienced Aviation Accident attorney, call Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC today at 866-435-1668, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange for your free initial consultation

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Airline Crash Cases:
Airline crashes typically result in the most traumatic injuries and death. These cases are extremely complex and may involve federal, state, or international laws and treaties. There may also be limitations on recoveries and caps on damages. Weather, maintenance, ground preparation of flights, pilot error, manufacturing defects and controller error may all contribute to a crash.

Typically, the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct an investigation. Obtaining a copy of the NTSB report and having the evidence reviewed by an aviation expert is crucial to determining if there is a potential issue and responsibility.

Aviation Accidents:
Aviation accidents occur in a variety of different situations. While the most common aviation accidents are those involving commercial airlines, many accidents occur with private airplanes, as well as commercial and private helicopters. The leading causes of commercial airline accidents include engine failures, controlled flight into terrain, approach and landing, loss of control, runway incursions and weather (including turbulence). Private or "general" aviation accidents can include controlled flight into terrain, weather, loss of control, and runway incursions. Aviation law governs the operation of aircraft and the maintenance of aviation facilities. Both federal and state governments have enacted statutes and created administrative agencies to regulate air traffic.

In 1958, The Federal Aviation Act was passed establishing the Federal Aviation Agency. There have been several subsequent acts passed by the federal government regulating aviation such as the Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970, and the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978.  The main source for aviation law is federally based. States are prohibited from regulating rates, routes, or services of any air carrier authorized under the Federal Aviation Act to provide interstate air transportation. States are not prohibited, however, from enacting consistent laws, or from altering existing remedies under state law.

Airplane Runway Incursions:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines a runway incursion as "any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to land." Many assume that once a plane has safely landed all potential danger is gone. Unfortunately, statistics show otherwise. Since 1993, the number of runway incursions has increased over 70%. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) considers this increase in runway incursions one of the ten most significant safety issues facing air travelers today.

A number of factors can cause runway incursions including pilot error (proceeding into unauthorized areas such as closed runways or taxiways), air traffic controller error (transmitting misinformation to pilots regarding ground maneuvers), and ground personnel errors (deviations by baggage carts, fuel trucks, maintenance vehicles, etc.). The consequences of runway incursions range from minor aircraft or vehicle damage to catastrophic loss of life.

Defective Products in Airplanes, Helicopters and Other Aviation Equipment:
Product liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable for placing a defective product into the general stream of use and commerce. Product liability cases may include defective or poorly designed machinery, tools, airline vehicle defects, airplane safety devices, emergency equipment and other defective products and equipment. A person injured by a defective or dangerous product may be eligible to file a lawsuit for product liability, and recover damages under one of the following categories: strict product liability, negligence, or breach of warranty.

Aviation products liability cases represent a unique hurdle for the person bringing a lawsuit because it is necessary to establish that the manufacturer could have used a reasonable, alternative design that would have prevented the victim’s injury or death.  In order to establish a reasonable, alternative design, the suing party will often need the testimony of an engineer or other expert to critique the manufacturer's design and to suggest the alternative design.

GARA, the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, is designed to protect manufacturers of smaller, private aircraft (less than 20 seats) from accident liability involving older airplanes and/or parts. GARA bars lawsuits against the manufacturer of an aircraft or component part once that item has been in service for 18 years. GARA does not apply if the aircraft was engaged in scheduled passenger carrying, or involved in air medical service operations at the time of the accident.

Wrongful Death Caused by Airplane Accident:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company, or organization.  A legal action for wrongful death caused by an airplane accident belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents.  Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death. In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action in a plane crash case, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
• The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.

The general rule in most jurisdictions in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one.  Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his wife, children and/or parents had he or she survived. It also includes the recovery for funeral services in memory of the decedent and for burial costs. Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, society, solace or moral support.

Aviation Accident Personal Injury Cases:
The airplane crash victim must prove that the airline, or one of its employees, acted negligently, and that as a result, the victim suffered injuries. The jury can award a plane crash victim monetary damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, both past and future, and inconvenience as a result of bodily injury.

Airplane Accident Mechanical Failure:
Airplane mechanical failure lawsuits may be brought against a common air carrier or the owner of a private plane. If a mechanical failure results from a defect in the design or construction of an airplane or a component of the airplane, the suing party may establish a products liability claim against the manufacturer of the component or the airplane.

Pilot Error or Employee Error in Aviation Disasters:
If pilot or employee error contributed to or caused an airplane crash, runway accident or other aviation accident that causes a passenger injury, that passenger can maintain a suit not only against the pilot for his or her error, but also against the pilot's employer, the airline. The high degree of care required of a common carrier extends to its employees, including pilots, flight attendants and mechanics.

If you or someone you love needs the assistance of an experienced Los Angeles, CA  Aviation Accident attorney, call Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC today at 866-435-1668, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.


Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC
180 Montgomery Street Ste. 1500
San Francisco, CA 94101
Phone: 866-435-1668
Hours: M-F, 8:00AM-5:00PM



Attorney Michael L. Baum

• Jurisdictions Attorney is Licensed in & Year Admitted: California, 1985, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1986, US District Court, Eastern District of California, 1989, US District Court, Northern District of California, 1989, US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1990, US District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1991, US Supreme Court, 1991, District of Columbia, 1993, US District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1993, US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1996, US District Court, Northern District of New York, 1996, US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 1997, US District Court, Western District of New York,  2009, US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin,  2009
• Colleges Attended, Degree & Year Graduated: Universityof California, Los Angeles (B.A., summa cum laude, 1982), University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law (J.D., 1985)
• Professional Memberships & Achievements: State Bar of California, The District of Columbia Bar, Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Consumer Attorneys of California, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL 817, United Airlines Crash, Sioux City, Iowa, 1989, Trial Team Member, 1991-1992, United Airlines Crash, Sioux City, Iowa: Member, 1989, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL 891, Northwest Airlines Crash, Detroit, 1990, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL 1041, USAir 1016 Aircrash of Charlotte, North Carolina, 1994, Trial Team Member, 1997, USAir 1016 Aircrash of Charlotte, North Carolina, 1994, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, Illinois State Court Proceedings for USAir 427 Aircrash near Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, 1994, Lead Counsel for 125 Consolidated Complex Biological-Medical Products Liability Cases, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1997-2001, Trial Team Member, Consolidated Hemophilia-AIDS Cases, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1999, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL-1574, Paxil Products Liability Litigation

Attorney Paul J. Hedlund

• Jurisdictions Attorney is Licensed in & Year Admitted: California, 1973, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1977, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 1978, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 1991, District of Columbia, 1994, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1994, U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 1994, U.S. Supreme Court, 1997,US District Court, Western District of New York,  2009
• Colleges Attended, Degree & Year Graduated: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (B.S.M.E., 1968); University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law (J.D., 1973)
• Certifications: Patent Law, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 1978
• Professional Memberships & Achievements: State Bar of California; District of Columbia Bar; The Bar Association of the District of Columbia; The American Association for Justice, formerly ATLA, Aviation Law Section, Railroad Law Section; American Bar Association, The Forum on Air and Space Law, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section; Staff Engineer, Southern California Edison, 1968-1970; Moot Court Judge, Pepperdine University School of Law; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL 817, United Airlines Crash, Sioux City, Iowa, 1989; Trial Team Member, 1991-1992, United Airlines Crash, Sioux City, Iowa: Member, 1989; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL-00-1343-CAL, Alaska Airlines Crash, off Point Mugu, California, 2000; Plaintiffs' Executive Committee, September 11, 2001 Tort Litigation; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Member, Chatsworth Metrolink Collision Cases, Chatsworth, California, 2008; Aviation Counsel Magazine's List of Recommended High Flyers, believed by the International Air Transport Association's Legal Dept. to be one of the most elite lists of aviation law practitioners ever produced

Attorney J. Clark Aristel

• Jurisdictions Attorney is Licensed in & Year Admitted: California, 1975; U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 1975; U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1979; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 1993; U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 1996; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 1997; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2006; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin,  2010New Hampshire
• Colleges Attended, Degree & Year Graduated: Los Angeles Harbor College (A.A., 1968); California State University at Long Beach (B.A., cum laude, 1971); University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California (J.D., 1975); Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law (1973)
• Professional Memberships & Achievements: State Bar of California; Consumer Attorneys of California; Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles; Los Angeles County Bar Association; California Farm Bureau Federation; Co-Lead Plaintiffs' Counsel for the Coordinated Discovery Cases, Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 accident, Burbank, California, 2000; Trial Team Member, 2003: Airborne Charter Inc./Avjet, Aspen, Colorado, 2001; Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Member, Glendale Metrolink Derailment Cases, Glendale, California, 2005; Trial Co-Counsel, 2006; 1998 Bell Helicopter crash in Los Angeles, California; Trial Co-Counsel, 2006; 2004 Tyson Foods truck crash near Crestline, Ohio; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Member, Chatsworth Metrolink Collision Cases, Chatsworth, California, 2008

Attorney Ronald L.M. Goldman

• Jurisdictions Attorney is Licensed in & Year Admitted: California, 1963; U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1963; U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, 1970; U.S. Supreme Court, 1971; United Kingdom, Court of Inquiry, 1972 (Investigating crash of British European Airways Trident jet in June 1972, London, England); U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1973; United States Court of Federal Claims, 1974; U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1977; District of Columbia, 1979; U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1982; U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1983; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2006; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 2006; US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2006; U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, 2008; US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 2008; US District Court, Western District of New York,  2009; US District Court, Eastern District of New York,  2009; US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin,  2009
• Colleges Attended, Degree & Year Graduated: Universityof Southern California (B.S.L., 1960); University of Southern California (J.D., 1962); Private Pilot License, USA (1980)
• Professional Memberships & Achievements: District of Columbia Bar; American Bar Association, The Forum on Air and Space Law, Litigation Section and Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section; The American Association for Justice (formerly ATLA) Aviation Law Section, Heparin Litigation Group, STEP-Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts Section; Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association; Experimental Aircraft Association; World Jurist Association of the World Peace Through Law Center;  Founding Member, World Association of Law Professors of the World Peace Through Law Center; Consumer Attorneys of California; Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles; Los Angeles County Bar Association; National Board of Trial Advocacy; International Bar Association, Aviation Law Committee; Public Justice; Life Member, Ostriches Anonymous Association (OAA), Promoting Aviation Safety and Risk Awareness; Co-Lead Plaintiffs' Counsel for the Coordinated Discovery Cases, Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 accident, Burbank, California, 2000; Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, September 11, 2001 Tort Litigation; Member, Lead Trial Counsel, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL-1574, Paxil Products Liability Litigation; Lead Trial Counsel, 2006; 1998 Bell Helicopter crash in Los Angeles, California; Lead Trial Counsel, 2006; 2004 Tyson Foods truck crash near Crestline, Ohio; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, MDL-1953, Heparin Products Liability Litigation; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Member, Chatsworth Metrolink Collision Cases, Chatsworth, California, 2008; Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, MDL-1967 In Re: Bisphenol-A (BPA) Polycarbonate Plastic Products Liability Litigation, 2009; Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, MDL-2085, In Re: Air Crash near Clarence Center, New York, on February 12, 2009 (Colgan Air dba Continental Connection)

Significant Cases

The Firm has been involved in the representation of personal injury victims and the survivors of those killed in more than 200 major air disasters, general aviation and military aircraft crashes, including:

One of the firm's most significant aviation trials took place in Southern California and was a products liability trial against Bell Helicopter for a tail rotor failure in which we represented the families of three Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics who were killed in a rescue helicopter crash.  (Our firm successfully changed aviation product liability law in an earlier Appeals Court decision on this case.)  The case resolved during the third week of trial.

The following are a sampling of individual case results in which Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC has achieved $1 million or more*:

• $17,500,000.00 –Aviation
• $11,600,000.00 - Aviation
• $10,000,000.00 - Aviation
• $9,500,000.00 - Aviation
• $9,100,000.00 - Aviation
• $8,000,000.00 - Aviation
• $7,500,000.00 - Aviation
• $7,000,000.00 - Aviation
• $6,600,000.00 - Aviation
• $6,500,000.00 - Aviation

*This is an advertisement.  Our past performance, verdicts, settlements, testimonials or endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of future cases.  Past results obtained or overall performance must be confined to that particular case, its factual and legal circumstances and legal surroundings.  Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits