Aviation Litigation
$844M Recovery for Families in Chapecoense Plane Crash Secured by Podhurst Orseck
December 2020 – Podhurst Orseck attorneys Steven C. Marks, Kristina M. Infante, and Pablo Rojas secured an $844 million settlement for 43 victims of the tragic plane crash involving a jet chartered by the Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense. The settlement covers more than half of the 71 people killed in the 2016 crash, less than two years after the firm filed a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit against the aircraft owners.
The crash occurred when the LaMia Bolivia flight, en route to the finals of the Copa Sudamericana, skipped a planned refueling stop and failed to alert air traffic controllers to critically low fuel levels. A subsequent electrical failure caused the plane to crash in the mountains near Medellin, Colombia.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Martin Zilber entered final judgments last summer, awarding between $5 million and $30 million per victim. The largest award went to goalkeeper Jakson Ragnar Follmann, who survived the crash but suffered a leg amputation. Litigation remains ongoing against the insurers.
“We were able to demonstrate to the court that the settlement agreements were sufficiently concrete and enforceable,” said Steven Marks. “Securing judgments totaling over $844 million is a significant victory for the families and a testament to our commitment to pursuing justice for our clients.”
Podhurst Orseck has been a leader in aviation litigation for decades, consistently achieving substantial recoveries for victims of catastrophic airline accidents.