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Man wins helicopter lawsuit
Published February 20, 2008
ANGLETON — Attorneys for a man who was one of 12 left at sea after a 2005 helicopter crash are waiting for a judge to enter the final verdict after a jury awarded him more than $2 million.
The jury returned a verdict last week against Houston Helicopters Inc. for injuries Melvin Pace suffered after the September 2005 crash, said Pace’s attorney, Jeff Raizner.
“It should be entered within the next week,” Raizner said.
Pace and 11 other men were in a helicopter that crashed 30 miles off Sabine Pass in the Gulf of Mexico. The crash was not reported to the U.S. Coast Guard until three hours after because the company did not properly track the flight as it was supposed to, Raizner said.
The men, 10 workers and two flight crew, were being ferried from an offshore oil rig about 60 to 70 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, Raizner said.
“These men swam with chemical burns,” into the night, he said.
The men were rescued seven hours later, he said.
The helicopter likely crashed due to an oil leak that spread to an engine and eventually led to double engine failure, he said.
“The pilots had requested it to be fixed,” Raizner said.
The helicopter crash occurred after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and the wreckage had been located in the water but not removed, he said. After Hurricane Rita struck the Texas Gulf Coast, the wreckage was not able to be found again, he said.
“The NTSB has not been able to issue a final report,” he said.
The attorney for Houston Helicopters could not be reached for comment about the case Tuesday.
The company since has stopped chartering flights, Raizner said.
Pace’s case was one of several pending relating to the helicopter crash, according to online records. Additional cases could be set for trial soon, Raizner said.
John Tompkins covers the Brazoria County Courthouse for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0149.
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