Helicopter Medivac Crash Leaves No Survivors

Jane Schneider

Contributor

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Monday, December 3, 2007, a helicopter carrying John Stumpf, flight nurse, Cameron Carter, paramedic, Gaye McDowell, patient, and flown by Lance Brabham went missing less than half way through a 90 minute flight between Cordova and Anchorage. Saturday, Stumpf's body was found with some wreckage along the flight path that would have taken the flight through Portage Pass on its way to Anchorage. Weather and visibility was poor

at the time of the crash. Survivors of the patient, Gaye McDowell, likely have a cause of action for her wrongful death. For the others on board it is more complicated. If they were employed by the exact same company that employed the pilot, their death will result in nothing other than a $5,000 death benefit under the worker's compensation act if they had no dependents. Other workers compensation benefits are available if they had dependents at the time of the crash. It may take an experience personal injury attorney with aviation training to sort out the corporate relationships between the operator, owner, or lessor the the helicopter and those on board.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Mass Transit Accidents.