Jeff Smith Collides With Parked Blackhawk, Suffers Multiple Injuries

Lawyer Jeff Smith crashed his snowmobile into a Blackhawk helicopter in 2019 and, after a several-year legal dispute, was recently awarded $3.3 million in damages. Smith suffered severe injuries in the accident, including twelve broken ribs and a punctured lung.

The crash occurred on March 13, 2019, in Worthington, Massachusetts. Smith was allegedly coming from his parent’s home, where he had a few beers with dinner before leaving to meet his brother on a known trail. He was driving in the dark and noticed the vehicle’s headlights reflecting off “something,” though he didn’t stop to see what it was until he crashed into it.

Smith was discovered “face down in the snow” by the helicopter’s crew shortly after the accident. He was airlifted to a trauma center, where he was diagnosed with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and severe internal bleeding. Now, he reportedly struggles with daily tasks as simple as putting on socks.

The US military Blackhawk had landed and parked on an FAA-approved airstrip. However, Smith testified that he hadn’t seen an aircraft use it since he was a child despite snowmobiling on it hundreds of times. He sued the government for $9.5 million in damages to cover medical bills and lost wages.

At first, the government was not having it. Officials made attempts to have the case thrown out on the basis that a policy decision was involved under the Federal Tort Claims Act. They also claimed to not know that the strip was a snowmobile trail and criticized Smith for drinking and speeding.

Smith’s lawyers refuted these statements, accusing the crew of negligence for parking a 64-foot-long aircraft on an obsolete airstrip.

In the recent ruling, U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni held the government 60% responsible for the accident while condemning Smith for unsafely operating the vehicle. He was awarded $3.3 million in damages.

"The court finds the government breached its duty of care in failing to take any steps to protect against the obvious risk of a camouflaged helicopter parked on an active snowmobile trail, in a somewhat wooded area, as darkness set," Mastroianni wrote.

FMI: www.army.mil