NEW YORK — The family of a North Texas man who died in a helicopter crash in 2018 has been awarded $116 million in a civil suit, a record verdict for the state of New York.
Trevor Cadigan, 26, drowned after a tour helicopter he was on crashed and overturned into the East River, along with another North Texan and three others, according to the medical examiner. Cadigan was unable to escape the helicopter due to the harness system used on the flights by FlyNYON and Liberty Helicopters, and the emergency flotation system of DART Aerospace malfunctioned after landing in the water, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board.
“These doors-off helicopter tour operators put Trevor in a death trap, and they knew it. They were fully aware for months that the passengers would have no chance of escape from their make-shift harness and tether system in the event of an emergency water landing. After three months of trial, this Manhattan jury held these companies accountable for their immoral and reckless actions,” said Gary C. Robb, in a statement whose Kansas City, Missouri law firm represented the Cadigan family…