According to ESPN, NASCAR Team Owner Rick Hendrick broke his ribs and his shoulder following a crash aboard his private plane. The injury occurred despite his doing everything he could think to prevent the injury, including wearing his seatbelt. Hendrick and his wife were aboard their Gulfstream 150 when it landed at Key West Airport. The plane experienced some braking problems and ran off of the runway. “My belt was on, and something came loose in the seat itself,” Hendrick said. “I hit the bulkhead and my wife. My chest and head went into the seat in front of me, and that’s where I (broke) my ribs and I had a concussion.” After the accident, Hendrick and his wife were hospitalized, but neither pilot was injured.
Hendrick is the owner of Hendrick Motorsports organization which provides equipment and technical support for Stewart-Haas Racing. Hendrick and star racer Jimmie Johnson co-owned the plane, which was used primarily for Johnson’s family’s travels to and from races. This is not the first time that a plane owned by Hendrick was involved in a crash. In 2004, another one of Hendrick’s planes crashed, killing 10, including Hendrick’s son, brother, and nieces.
It is unlikely that anyone is at fault for Hendrick’s injuries. Regular maintenance would be the only real way to catch such problems before they happen. Following instructions from the flight crew and wearing safety restraints are also critical but here nothing would’ve helped given that the seat itself was the cause of the problems. While there does not appear to have been any negligence on the part of the plane’s owners or flight crew, had anyone else on the plane been injured the owners would’ve potentially been in hot water over the thoroughness of their maintenance. To minimize such potential liability plane owners should hire a well respeted company to regularly inspect their aircraft. As powerful members of the NASCAR community, containing risk is very important and compliance with federal aviation safety regulations is paramount.
Though most people will never have the opportunity to be injured in a private plane crash, if you have been the victim of injury in any form, Charlotte personal injury attorneys are here to fight for the justice you deserve. Our attorneys will do everything they can to make sure that you are compensated for your loss. Please do not hesitate to call (704) 370-2828 for a free consultation today.
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