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  #21  
Old 11-01-2012, 03:20 AM
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NickAir NickAir is offline
 
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Location: McMinnville, Oregon: HOME of the SPRUCE GOOSE
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Default Experimental Aircraft

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mel View Post
I personally know of several cases where the builder was sued.
I know of none, nor have I heard of any being successful.

The builder is the builder, is the builder, forever and ever, Amen!

Parting out does NOT relieve the builder of any liability.

I also have heard for years that no one has been successful in a lawsuit against the builder on an Experimental Aircraft. I have no confirmation if my info is current. Something to keep current on as things do change.
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  #22  
Old 11-01-2012, 11:21 AM
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F1Boss F1Boss is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Taylor Texas
Posts: 811
Default NOTHING matters

If a party wants to sue you, you WILL be served. It matters not who is, or is not, at fault. You will spend $$$ on defense.
If you choose to settle, be ready for the size of THAT check! In the end, you have not been successfully sued, but you have surely paid to be released.

That being said, the plaintiffs usually go for the deep pockets. I have found their 1st question to be about insurance: are you insured for such a loss? If the answer is no, sometimes, I am told, they will desist. Their attorneys are looking for a quick turn-around, and a protracted lawsuit is not what they want.

So, who has the deep pockets? The kit manufacturer, or at minimum this is the expectation of the plaintiffs' attorneys. So, the kit manufacturer is named in the suit.
Ask me how I know about this.

You could incorporate, but this doesn't work either. I know about that, too.

The plaintiffs end game is to place blame on anyone else - in their eyes, their loved one could not be at fault. Ever. This is completely understandable, but not always moral, or ethical.

So, de-register your plane if you want - it might help you (the builder), but it will not likely help the kit manufacturer. Seems the process to re-register such a pile of parts is actually fairly easy, tho completely illegal, or at least outside the normal process.
Again, you can ask me how I know about this.

Depressing? Speaking as a manufacturer, you bet. I'd like to build more airplanes - you have heard the plans - but I have to ask myself WHY would I? There is no real money in it - there never was for me. Do I want to fund another defense using my remaining retirement, if there is any left? No, thanks. I might build ONE MORE, for myself...

I could go on and on, but the plaintiffs attorneys are surely watching this site.

Carry on!
Mark
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  #23  
Old 11-01-2012, 11:32 AM
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DonFromTX DonFromTX is offline
 
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Location: La Feria Texas
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Default

When one builds an R12 ELSA (which most are being built this way), his name as builder does not go on it, only Vans as the manufacturer. Other than the chain of ownership, the actual builder is never even named. I suppose that would pretty well eliminate the actual builders from liability, no way to prove who that really was since there is no 51% rule either, the first owner may have not even pulled one rivet.
Maybe the deep pockets would be the FAA or the DAR who said it was airworthy.
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  #24  
Old 11-01-2012, 12:01 PM
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Mel Mel is offline
 
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Location: Dallas area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DonFromTX View Post
Maybe the deep pockets would be the FAA or the DAR who said it was airworthy.
First off, the FAA nor the DAR ever deem an experimental aircraft as "airworthy".

The builder signs off on the aircraft as being "in a condition for safe operation."

The FAA or the DAR only signs off on it meeting "the requirements for the certificate requested."
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  #25  
Old 11-01-2012, 12:55 PM
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Snowflake Snowflake is offline
 
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Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DonFromTX View Post
When one builds an R12 ELSA (which most are being built this way), his name as builder does not go on it, only Vans as the manufacturer. Other than the chain of ownership, the actual builder is never even named. I suppose that would pretty well eliminate the actual builders from liability, no way to prove who that really was since there is no 51% rule either, the first owner may have not even pulled one rivet.
Good luck with that. It's probably next to trivial to figure out who built it, there are probably builder's logs, websites showing photos, record of "hey, how do you fix this issue?" here on VAF, photos of first flight with "yay, I built and flew my own airplane!" captions, etc. Unless the builder is (a) dead or (b) willing to perjure him/herself under oath, who built it will be easy to ascertain with a very high degree of certainty.

As others have pointed out, it's not likely to be an issue unless (like Mark) you become a vendor of parts or kits.
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  #26  
Old 11-01-2012, 05:12 PM
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638RS 638RS is offline
 
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Location: Portland, OR
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Default

If the builder is deceased and the plane is sold in an estate sale can the surviving spouse / estate be held libel?
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  #27  
Old 11-01-2012, 06:34 PM
c177tx c177tx is offline
 
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Location: Austin
Posts: 130
Talking

I can hear the final argument to the jury now. My clients lost their loved one in an Aircraft that was built in a garage by an amateur builder. Now when the armature built experimental was sold it was sold
" as is where is" condition with no warranties expressed on implied. The widget installed on this aircraft that failed and caused this accident was not approved by the FAA to be used on a certified aircraft because the accident aircraft was not a certified aircraft and was an experimental aircraft built by a person in their garage over a period of a number years. Even though my clients loved one knew that he/she was flying in an Experimental aircraft noted by the large printed Experimental sign posted for everyone to see. I believe that the jury should award a multi million dollar award because I slept in a Fancy hotel last night.
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