Champe, et. al. v. Turbomeca Engine Corp.
Jun 28, 1995OUTCOME: Case settled for $8 Million at trial.
LAPD officers Randy Champe and Gary Howe were on a routine police patrol in an Aerospatiele helicopter (equipped with a Turbomeca Engine Corp. engine) when the helicopter crashed, killing both officers ... . Officer Champe was survived by his wife; Officer Howe was survived by his wife, two minor children and one adult child. The officers' survivors and estates sued the engine manufacturer and its overhaul subsidiary, alleging the accident was caused by a defective freewheel assembly installed in the engine. Plaintiffs alleged the subsidiary had installed a defective shaft that had been previously recalled, identified and marked with a red tag requiring it to be scraped. Plaintiffs also alleged the manufacturer had been grossly negligent in failing to (1) warn operators of the risks associated with freewheel failure and (2) ground helicopters with the freewheel devices. Plaintiffs asserted the defendants had consciously disregarded evidence of such failures from other accidents. The parties settled for $8 Million at the close of the second week of trial.
