Flight 3054 Landing Accident Claimed 199

Partner of the legal team of Masry and Vititoe, Podhurst Orseck filed 59 wrongful death lawsuits for the families of passengers killed on July 17, 2007 aboard Brazil's TAM Airlines Flight 3054.

The law firm states the 59 wrongful death lawsuits stem from the landing crash of Flight 3054, the worst airline disaster in Brazil's history. As ANN reported, the Airbus A320 operated by TAM Linhas Aareas aircraft impacted an air cargo building when it attempted landing at Sao Paolo's Congonhas airport. The accident claimed all 187 passengers and crewmembers onboard the plane, and another 12 on the ground.

The firm asserts pilots mishandled landing procedures in the crash, aware that the aircraft's thrust reversers had been deactivated during a maintenance check. The parties included in the lawsuits are TAM, leasing company Pegasus Aviation, Airbus, Airbus Customer Services, Goodrich (thrust reverser provider) and International Aero Engines.

Masry and Vititoe also allege the airline caused further trauma for the families of the victims, when TAM released the passenger manifest via the Internet just hours after the crash. The firm says TAM neglected to assign personal contact with the families of the victimized passengers to notify them of their loss.

In prior airline crash cases, Masry and Vititoe has partnered with Florida-based Podhurst Orseck. In addition to the TAM Flight 3054 case, together they also currently represent families of the passengers aboard the Gol Transportes Aeros Flight #1907 that collided with an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet over the Amazon Rainforest in September 2006.

They also represent victims' families in the Sibir Airlines crash that involved the same type of Airbus under similar circumstances; they too attempted landing in the rain, failed to stop and crashed into a building resulting in catastrophic loss of life.

FMI: www.masryvititoe.com, www.tam.com