A recently released report concerning the Asiana Airlines plane crash at San Francisco airport reveals that the culture in the cockpit of that flight and others may actually compromise flight safety. According to the report performed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a lack of communication combined with confusion lead to the deadly crash. The dangerous situation was further exacerbated by younger pilots who feared voicing their concerns about the speed at which the plane was approaching the landing and as a result, remained silent rather than confronting the more senior pilots.
Additionally, one of the pilots flying the plane failed to perform a more complicated "go around maneuver" since such action was restricted to captains or instructors. He commented that the "culture" of the cockpit kept him from taking this potentially life saving action.
It is unknown whether San Francisco personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits will be filed as the result of this fatal crash, however the issue of "cockpit culture" raises an interesting question concerning negligence and fault that is applicable in many accident situations. That is, if a company culture so influences the way its employees act, can the company be held liable and responsible to pay damages in negligence lawsuits?
While each circumstance is different, where a policy leads to injury, the company may be held liable as well.
For more information or if you have been injured in any type of San Francisco personal injury action, please contact the experienced San Francisco accident attorneys at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.