A huge £78 million compensation is scheduled to be given to the parents of British tourist Jonathan Udall, who sadly lost his life in a Grand Canyon helicopter tragedy in 2018.
Jonathan, 31, and four other Britons, including his recently married wife Ellie, died in the crash of an Airbus helicopter that later caught fire while on a Grand Canyon tour.
Jonathan’s parents, Philip and Marlene Udall, sued for wrongful death, claiming their son may have survived if not for the fire that broke out after the crash.
A US judge in Clark County, Nevada, authorized the settlement, which names £19.3 million from the French manufacturer Airbus Helicopters SAS and £59.3 million from the helicopter operator Papillon Airways.
The parents of Jonathan Udall expressed their hope that this hefty payment would encourage helicopter manufacturers to use safer technologies, saving other parents from going through what they went through.
Their attorney, Gary C. Robb, revealed that they planned to donate a portion of the settlement funds to promote helicopter safety and provide assistance to burn victims.
Robb emphasized how urgent it is to address the widespread problem of dangerous fuel tanks in helicopters, describing the terrible outcomes that occur when fuel spills onto passengers, causing serious burns and igniting. The Udall family wants to raise awareness of this public health issue and bring about quick fixes.
At the Arizona vacation destination, an Airbus EC130 B4 crashed and caught fire. This was a horrible tragedy. Devastating losses befell the group, which included newlyweds visiting Las Vegas and pals celebrating a birthday. Jonathan Udall passed away from severe burns after spending 12 days in the hospital.
The pilot losing control in a tailwind was determined to be the likely cause of the disaster in the National Transportation Safety Board’s 2021 report. The aircraft spun due to a “violent gust of wind,” as pilot Scott Booth, who escaped with serious injuries, described.
The landmark compensation reached as a result of the Udall family’s legal battle highlights the need for improved safety protocols in the aviation sector.
