The family of the late former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, who tragically lost his life in a Southern California helicopter crash in February, took legal action on Wednesday by filing a lawsuit against the US helicopter company involved.
The fatal crash also claimed the lives of former Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and son, who were also passengers on the ill-fated helicopter.
The Ogunbanjo family asserted that the flight should have been canceled due to hazardous weather conditions.
In February, the helicopter crash took the lives of Wigwe, his wife, and son, near the Nevada border in California, USA.
According to the Press Enterprise, relatives of Ogunbanjo, in their court filing on Wednesday, alleged that the charter company, Orbic Air, negligently operated the helicopter despite adverse weather conditions, described as a “wintry mix” of snow and rain in the Mojave Desert where the accident occurred on Feb. 9.
READ ALSO: We’ll Provide Solar-Powered Boreholes – Governor Zulum Promises Amid Water Crisis in Borno
Andrew C. Robb, one of the attorneys representing the family, emphasized that Ogunbanjo’s family seeks “answers and accountability” through the lawsuit.
“Helicopters do not do very well in snow and ice,” Robb told The Associated Press.
“This flight was entirely preventable, and we don’t know why they took off,” He added.
Ogunbanjo’s wife and two children have initiated legal action in San Bernardino County Superior Court against Orbic Air and its CEO, Brady Bowers, alleging wrongful death and negligence.
The lawsuit also implicates the unidentified successors of Pettingill and Hansen, whom Ogunbanjo’s family holds accountable. Orbic Air declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently conducting an investigation into the crash.
A preliminary investigation report released by the agency in February provided insights into the helicopter’s flight path and the extent of the wreckage.
Witnesses reported witnessing a “fireball” amidst rainy and snowy weather conditions at the time of the tragic crash.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial to address Ogunbanjo’s burial and funeral expenses, along with other damages incurred. Notably, Robb & Robb, the legal firm representing Ogunbanjo’s family, previously represented Vanessa Bryant in her lawsuit following Kobe Bryant’s fatal helicopter crash in 2020.
