The release of the National Transportation Safety Board’s report into the 2020 private helicopter crash that claimed the lives of basketball legend Kobe Bryant and eight others garnered intense media scrutiny.
Providing a comprehensive review of the report, the Associated Press article, “US Officials: Pilot Error Caused Kobe Bryant Chopper Crash,” also offered a perspective from Michael Lyons on the legal implications of the NTSB’s findings.
Lyons, who has represented a number of clients injured or killed in aircraft disasters, said that the report is “likely to factor into litigation in the case, whether it’s admissible in court or not.”
He further explained, “The experts in the litigation will certainly review the findings and use the final report as a foundation. The Federal Aviation Act has a provision that prevents the admissibility of an NTSB report in evidence; however, some split in authority on the interpretation of this statute exists. Many courts will allow the factual recitals in a final governmental report to come in but will not admit opinions and conclusions into evidence. Typically, the final report will include a disclaimer that the report or the opinions are not admissible.”
The full article, “US Officials: Pilot Error Caused Kobe Bryant Chopper Crash,” is available here.
