Commercial Aviation:

2000 Singapore Airlines 747 Taipei, Taiwan. The aircraft started its takeoff roll in heavy rain and high winds on a closed runway striking construction equipment and a barricade. The aircraft broke apart, rupturing the fuel tanks, spilling jet fuel across the wreckage and passengers. Of the 159 passengers and 12 crew members, 83 died while many others suffered significant burn injuries.

2000 Southwest Airlines Burbank 737 runs off runway injuring passengers.

1998 Aero Mexico Passenger burned by coffee.
1998 United Airlines Over Pacific Ocean Passenger injured by falling luggage.

1998 Barbados Landing gear collapses injuring pilot of commercial carrier.

1997 American Airlines LAX Smoke in cabin caused emergency landing and traumatic stress disorder to passenger.

1995 Delta Airlines Las Vegas Passenger injured by falling luggage.

1993 China Eastern Airlines MD-11 Aleutian Islands Deployment of leading edge slats in cruise flight caused serious injuries to passengers.

1992 Pakistan International Airlines Kathmandu, Nepal Airbus crashes on approach killing all on board.

1991 Skywest Airlines Palm Springs, CA Severe turbulence injured passenger.

1986 PSA En Route to Los Angeles Turbine blades punctured passenger cabin causing traumatic stress disorder.

1986 Northwest Airlines Japan to Los Angeles, CA Passenger slipped on stairs of 747 causing significant injuries.

1979 American Airlines Chicago, IL DC-10 engine failure caused aircraft to crash.

General Aviation:

1998 Vondra v. United States Crash of Piper Arrow into mountainous terrain due to controller error.

1998 Lonian v. Southern California Edison Crash of Piper Arrow into power lines near Hesperia, CA.

1998 Machowsky v. Ostrove Fuel starvation caused crash of Cessna 177 on approach to Santa Monica Airport.

1997 SAA v. Aero Engines Defective carburetor caused crash of crop duster in Guatemala.

1997 Tomigashi v. Matsumoto Crash of Beech C-23 into apartment building due to exhaust system failure.

1997 Copeland v. AOG Crash of DeHavilland Beaver at Ketchikan, Alaska.

1996 Tahmouressi v. AirTime Crash of Rockwell Commander at Whiteman Airport killing all on board.

1995 Koike v. Air Desert Pacific Mid-air collision near Banning, CA.

1993 Brown v. United States Air traffic controllers caused Piper Comanche crash in mountainous terrain.

1991 Cessna 337 Crash of aircraft on approach to Bullhead City, Arizona.

1991 Rahgozar Passenger in Robinson helicopter decapitated after deplaning.

1990 Robinson R-22 Crash of helicopter on approach to landing in Virginia.

1983 Hiller Helicopter Passenger decapitated after "mast bumping" episode.

1980 - 1985 Various Cessna Cases Several cases against Cessna involving vapor lock in 200 series aircraft.

Other Cases of Note:

1999 Zao v. Anderson & Howard Electric Million dollar verdict in Orange County for car accident case involving soft tissue injuries.

1998 Choti v. Mulliken Medical Center Medical malpractice case involving death of 14-year-old boy resulting in $2.4 million verdict, one of the highest in country for child death.

1998 Gonzalez v. State of California Bicycle rider paralyzed due to gravel of roadway shoulder.

1997 Hernandez v. Interstate Chemicals Woman rummaging garbage cans hit by truck, resulting in a $500,000 settlement.   

1997 Burn v. Johnson & Johnson Antibiotic Floxin caused ruptured Achilles tendons in elderly man.

1996 Reitz v. McKay At the time, one of the highest dental malpractice verdicts in California.

1995 Charachuri Head injury to pedestrian resulting in $2.3 million settlement.

1995 Gomez v. L.A. Community College District $770,000 verdict for pedestrian hit by car.

1992 Jack v. Secretary of Health Nursing student became deaf after Rubella vaccination.

1983 Kauffman v. SCRTD 72-year-old woman killed by bus in pedestrian cross-walk, resulting in $664,000 verdict for 75-year-old surviving husband.