The family of the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, former chairman of Leicester City, has launched a legal claim against the manufacturer of the helicopter he died in. Srivaddhanaprabha, pilot Eric Swaffer, Izabela Roza Lechowicz, and Kaveporn Punpare and Nusara Suknamai lost their lives in the crash in October 2018. The compensation claim, started by legal representatives Stewarts, comes to over £2bn and seeks cover for damages and loss of earnings. The law firm has described it as being “the largest fatal accident claim in English history”.
The rotor bearing on the helicopter, which was on its way out of the club’s King Power Stadium, had become worn prior to the accident, a report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found, and was almost impossible to predict. This ultimately caused the helicopter to become uncontrollable, leading to the inevitable crash. The AAIB, following the publication of the report in September, cleared both drone involvement and pilot error. High Court action has now started with the inquest set to hear from emergency service personnel, eyewitnesses, and corporate witnesses.
Stewart’s senior partner, Peter Neenan, has called on manufacturer Leonardo to take responsibility and defend the claim. A statement from the company expressed sympathy for the families involved and stated that it intended to review the claim before defending itself. Since the death of his father, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has become Chairman of Leicester City, leading the family in their campaign to hold Leonardo responsible for the “unquestionable tragedy” that led to his father’s death.
Following the tragedy, the club has been committed to carrying out regular safety checks to ensure that their players and fans can safely attend the stadium. They have also recently completed a £100m stadium expansion that currently has a reduced capacity due to COVID and government social distancing guidelines. Srivaddhanaprabha senior was credited with engineering the team’s 2015 Premier League win, leading him to become an integral and respected figure in the UK football scene.
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