Make a helicopter accident claim for your personal injuries

Helicopters are a quick and convenient way of travelling long distances. Used widely by the military and of course the rich and famous, they are generally regarded as a safe and reliable means of transport. However, without regular maintenance checks, as with any other mode of transport, they can easily become dangerous and lead to helicopter accidents and helicopter accident claims.

While regular safety checks are carried out on all helicopters used by the armed forces, these often only cover the basic maintenance checks recommended by the helicopter manufacturers. This means that some parts on the aircrafts may be overlooked which can result in potentially fatal consequences.

Sadly, this was the case for an RAF Puma helicopter that crashed in Iraq in November 2007, killing two SAS soldiers. Surprisingly the cause of the helicopter crash was not enemy fire but a combination of pilot error and a mechanical fault with the aircraft.

While an inquest found the main cause of the crash to have been pilot error, a faulty fuel safety valve was found to have impeded the crew's escape from the stricken aircraft. Had the safety valve been working properly, the fire which prevented rescue crews from reaching the soldiers may not have taken hold so rapidly, which would have allowed for the men to have been treated earlier.

During the inquest, the faulty valve was found to not have been checked for thirty years because it was not on the manufacturer's recommended maintenance checklist. The coroner said it was "inexplicable" that the defective valve, designed to stop fuel leaks, had not been checked for three decades.

The coroner also criticised the military for failing to enforce its policy for personnel to use restraints in aircraft and for not fitting display night-goggles to the Puma.

Since the accident, safety measures have been put in place to make sure anti-spill valves are checked regularly and the Puma Force has been fitted with night vision goggles.

While the safety valves were not found to have been the main cause of the accident, the mechanical failure did prevent the soldiers being rescued sooner which may have affected their chances of survival.

It has not been reported whether the relatives of the soldiers made personal injury compensation claims, but as the military were found to be negligent; it is possible that a work accident compensation claim could have been made through the civil courts.

Helicopter accident claims with YouClaim
Thankfully, helicopter accidents are rare, but if you have suffered a personal injury from a helicopter crash and you were not at fault, you may be eligible to make a compensation claim.

Being in a helicopter accident can be an extremely traumatic event especially if you were injured in the crash. As well as exceedingly painful, a personal injury resulting from a helicopter crash can also prevent you from being able to work and drive. At YouClaim, we believe that you should gain compensation for any suffering you've endured from an accident that wasn't your fault.

Every year we help hundreds of personal injury victims gain compensation for their injuries. Our panel of extremely competent personal injury solicitors has a wealth of experience in dealing with passenger injury and work accidents. Our fantastic claims success rate speaks for itself.

Free legal advice to help you decide if you want to make a claim
We offer free legal advice to all our customers so if you have any further questions about the no win no fee process or your rights after sustaining a helicopter accident then give us a call on 0800 10 757 95 today.

Alternatively, you can request a call back or fill in an online claim form and we will give you a call back at a time convenient with you to discuss your helicopter accident claim.