BALTIMORE — The family of one of the victims of the American Airlines and Black Hawk helicopter crash over the Potomac is suing the government and airlines involved.
WATCH: First Potomac crash lawsuit filed by Casey Crafton family against airlines
Wednesday, several families and their lawyers spoke to the media about the details of the first lawsuit which was filed on behalf of the family of Casey Crafton, a husband and father who was one of the victims. The initial lawsuit will serve as a guiding complaint for the rest of the families.
The focus of the complaint is that there is corporate negligence and accountability from the airline company and the FAA that existed long before the crash. The NTSB revealed that the FAA failed to recognize an alarming pattern of near misses at the DCA Airport in the years before the crash and ignored concerns about helicopter traffic around the airport.
There are a number of other factors the lawsuit is looking into on behalf of the families who simply want justice for the loss of their loved ones.
"Today we are taking legal action because the accountability of American Airlines, PSA Airlines, and the Army and FAA is the only way to ensure this never happens again and no other families have to live with the pain we have to endure each day without Casey," said Dailey Crafton, Casey Crafton's brother, reading a statement from Rachel Crafton.
There are rules about suing the federal government. The families of the other 66 victims cannot yet file suit but will file what's called Form 95, a document that states a claim is being made against the federal government which the government has six months to accept or deny.
When the other families are able to file suit they are expected to file them in the federal court and the cases will be consolidated.
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