Bell Helicopter has settled a wrongful death case filed by the widows of three Los Angeles city firefighters who died in a helicopter crash in 1998. The crash also killed Norma Vides, 11, of Sun Valley, a car crash victim who was being airlifted to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
Details of the agreement between the widows and Bell Helicopter were not released and will remain confidential.
"We have agreed with the defense that there would be no comment on the resolution," said Ron Goldman, an attorney representing the three widows.
The lawsuit was filed in 1999 by the widows of Michael Butler, 33, of Santa Clarita; Eric Reiner, 33, of Carson; and Michael McComb, 48, of Crestline. The firefighters died March 23, 1998, in Griffith Park when the 20-year-old Bell helicopter they were in lost its tail rotor and crashed.
The lawsuit alleged that the tail rotor yoke and assembly was defective and that the defect caused parts to fatigue. The rotor helps control a helicopter's lateral motion.
Litigation dragged on for years, partly because of an initial ruling upholding federal law that prohibits such suits against manufacturers of helicopters over 18 years old.
In 2003, a state appellate court reversed that decision and said the rule does not apply to this case because Bell had failed to disclose to the Federal Aviation Administration five prior military helicopter crashes that had the same design yoke and fatigue fracture.
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