meatbomb1984

I'm sorry, but an A license and a student pilot certificate do not equate to experience in the aviation world. What kind of cases have you taken in relation to skydiving and aviation? I've handled aviation matters ranging from multi-fatality aviation crash litigation involving manufacturers, air ambulances, general aviation operators, and schools to aircraft leases and insurance claims disputes. I teach classes to other attorneys on the law of liability waivers in the mountain west, I've defeated several injury lawsuits filed against dropzones in New Mexico and Colorado, and I drafted a bill currently working its way through the New Mexico legislature designed to grant complete tort immunity to drop zone and sponsor jump operators where the accident relates to an inherent risk of the sport. But I'm just here to answer a question. There are plenty of very capable skydiving attorneys. Call someone else--I'm stocked up on dickhead clients.

Bill, I invited Randy Ottinger and Jay Stokes to participate in this project, but have not heard anything from them. I certainly would like to see the day that manufacturers gain the same protection. After discussing that option with the bill sponsor, we decided including manufacturers would be ineffective because plaintiffs could file suit in the state where the manufacturer is based (where NM state law doesn't apply), and because it would lead to too much legislative resistance. As is, the democrats were just restored to majority in our state, so the bill might not make it this year. This will be an ongoing project if it doesn't make it all the way through the legislature this year and I would very much like your input from the manufacturer perspective.

It's in "incidents" because the law relates exclusively to them. Unless I missed the "government relations" forum, it's over the wall for you.

A law I have drafted for that purpose is being sponsored in this year's state legislative session. You can find the law here:https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/17%20Regular/bills/house/HB0247.pdf It is going to be heard in committee this week and I would like any information or insight from DZOs on whether they would consider starting or moving operations to a state where they enjoy immunity from injury and death lawsuits in most circumstances.

www.dropzonelawyers.com

Information posted here is mostly anonymous and all hearsay. Moreover, only witnesses accepted by the court as qualified expert witnesses may offer opinions on causation in accidents--and even that is limited by a number of rules, not the least of which is an examination of the scientific methodology the expert used to arrive at such conclusions, and the foundational facts on which his (or her) assumptions are made. The bottom line is that it is the nature of observers and experts alike to publicly speculate on the causes and lessons of any transportation or high-risk sports accident; but it is highly unlikely that those comments will ever reach a judge or jury under the courts' evidentiary gatekeeping. With that said, I wouldn't offer up "I was there and this is what I saw" posts unless you feel like receiving a subpoena. In any event, if you need a lawyer, there are always these guys (me) in Albuquerque: www.dropzonelawyers.com