“Robb & Robb LLC is the premier aviation law firm in the United States.”

We Are the Nation’s Most Successful Aviation Law Firm

California Airplane Crash Attorneys

An airplane crash can devastate families in seconds, leaving behind catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and difficult questions about what went wrong. Whether the incident involves a commercial airliner, private aircraft, charter flight, or corporate jet, aviation accident cases are among the most legally and technically complex matters in personal injury law.

Robb & Robb has represented victims and families across California and nationwide in complex personal injury, wrongful death, and airplane crash litigation since 1984. Our work goes beyond compensation alone. We focus on uncovering the truth, demanding accountability, and forcing safety improvements that help prevent future tragedies.

Free initial consultations are available, including virtual meetings. Call (877) 749-4999 or complete our online contact form to speak with a California airplane crash attorney. Available 24/7.

Our Verdicts & Settlements

Record-Setting Results in Airplane Accidents

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Family Heritage, National Impact

Built by family and united in purpose, this nationally recognized aviation law firm is led by Gary and Anita Robb, alongside their son Andrew and his wife Brittany. Decades of focused experience, unmatched results, and fearless advocacy define their work. Together, they have secured landmark verdicts, shaped aviation safety standards, and earned a reputation as the leading authority in complex aviation litigation nationwide.

Stories from the Families We’ve Advocated For

At Robb & Robb, families place their trust in us during the most challenging moments of their lives. We honor that trust with steadfast dedication, combining compassion, clear guidance, and tenacious advocacy. Standing with families affected by aviation accidents, we fight for justice, accountability, and meaningful improvements in safety across the industry.

Aviation accidents require unmatched legal experience. If you or a loved one have been injured due to negligence, contact Robb & Robb online or call (877) 749-4999 to explore your legal options.

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Highlights of Our Results in Aviation Cases Nationwide

Our firm has a history of obtaining justice in California. We were proud to represent Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant for the aviation crash that killed her husband and their daughter, Gianna.

Our firm has been nationally recognized for our outstanding results in plane crash settlements and verdicts.

These include, but are not limited to:

$52.5 million settlement in a case involving five fatalities
$48 million jury verdict in a case involving defective parts
$27.5 million settlement in a case of defective oil transfer tubes
$26 million settlement in a case of a right engine failure

The Risks of Private and General Aviation

General aviation, which includes non-commercial, non-military flights, accounts for the vast majority of aviation activity in the U.S., including much of California’s private, charter, and business jet traffic. While essential to travel and commerce, it carries significantly greater risk than commercial airline operations.

Private aircraft typically lack flight data recorders, operate under less stringent maintenance standards, and are more susceptible to weather, mechanical failures, and human error. Despite long-term safety improvements, general aviation remains the primary cause of aviation fatalities, accounting for the overwhelming majority of such incidents each year.

Causes of Airplane Crashes

Most airplane crashes result from a combination of failures rather than a single mistake. Common contributing factors include:

Defective aircraft design or materials
Mechanical or engine failures
Improper maintenance or inspection
Instrument or avionics malfunctions
Pilot fatigue or operational errors
Air traffic control mistakes
Fuel exhaustion, contamination, or mismanagement
In-flight icing and severe weather

Our firm routinely investigates crashes involving equipment defects that were entirely outside the pilot’s control.

Compensation Available in California Airplane Crash Cases

Depending on the circumstances, victims and families may pursue compensation for personal injury or wrongful death:

Medical expenses and long-term care
Lost income and diminished earning capacity
Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
Pre-impact terror
Funeral and burial costs
Loss of companionship and support
Other wrongful death damages for surviving family members

In catastrophic cases, damages often reflect a lifetime of financial and personal loss. Our firm evaluates both present and future impacts when pursuing recovery.

Why Legal Representation Matters in California Airplane Crash Cases

Airplane crash cases are fundamentally different from other injury or wrongful death claims. They involve overlapping state and federal laws, technical aviation safety standards, and multiple corporate defendants, each with its own legal team and financial resources. Without experienced legal representation, families are placed at a severe disadvantage from the outset.

In California airplane crash cases, liability may be attributed to various parties, including aircraft manufacturers, component suppliers, maintenance providers, charter operators, pilots, or air traffic control.

These cases often require interpretation of safety standards, National Transportation Safety Board procedures, and complex product liability standards. Evidence is highly technical, time-sensitive, and usually controlled by parties with a vested interest in limiting their own responsibility.

Insurance carriers and aviation companies act immediately after a crash. Investigators, defense attorneys, and insurers can begin shaping the narrative long before families understand their rights.

Statements may be taken, evidence may be preserved selectively, and legal strategies may be developed to shift blame or minimize damages. Once evidence is lost or compromised, it may never be recovered.

Our California aviation accident attorneys level the playing field by launching an independent investigation, preserving critical evidence, and challenging conclusions that do not reflect the full scope of what occurred. This includes scrutinizing maintenance records, pilot qualifications, manufacturing decisions, and compliance with safety standards, rather than accepting superficial explanations.

California law also imposes strict deadlines and procedural requirements for filing claims. Missing a filing deadline or misidentifying a liable party can result in a permanent prohibition to recovery.

In high-stakes aviation cases, you are not just seeking compensation—you are confronting corporations, manufacturers, and insurers with substantial financial backing. Effective representation requires the resources, resolve, and litigation readiness to pursue accountability through trial when necessary.

For families facing the aftermath of an airplane crash, legal counsel is not a formality. It is a necessity for protecting rights, uncovering the truth, and pursuing justice in a system designed to favor well-funded defendants.

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Robb & Robb in the News

Many cases handled successfully by the Firm’s attorneys have received national and international media attention, including featured stories and broadcasts on ABC News, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, the CBS Evening News, BBC, Good Morning America, NBC’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, U.S. News & World Report, CNN.com, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The National Law Journal, Lawyers Weekly USA, BNA Reporter, Law 360, Business Insider, The Missouri Lawyers Weekly, and The Kansas City Star, the Miami Herald, Las Vegas Review – Journal, as well as numerous news platforms posted and televised around the world.

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Proven Results in Aviation Litigation

Robb & Robb has secured substantial verdicts and settlements in airplane crash cases involving private planes, charter flights, and corporate aircraft, including record-setting recoveries and cases that resulted in meaningful industry safety changes. As a law firm run by two generations of one family, we bring focus, persistence, and accountability to every case we accept.

Speak with a California Airplane Crash Attorney

If you or your family has been affected by an airplane crash in California or anywhere in the United States, you deserve representation prepared to confront powerful aviation manufacturers, operators, and insurers.

Reach us via our online contact form or call (877) 749-4999 today to reserve your complimentary initial consultation and discover how we can help pursue justice, compensation, and safer skies for the future.

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Unsurpassed Record of Success

We have secured over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements, becoming aviation’s most influential safety advocate. Our record includes the two highest U.S. helicopter crash jury verdicts—$350 million and $116 million—and we are the only firm to recover $100 million or more for a single aviation death or injury in five separate jurisdictions nationwide.
Family Led, Nationally Recognized

Led by two generations of one family – husband and wife Founding Partners Gary C. Robb and Anita Porte Robb, their son and Partner Andrew C. Robb along with his wife, Partner Brittany Sanders Robb, this law firm is nationally recognized as the leader in aviation litigation. Guided by integrity, courage, and accountability, they have become a moral force, driving modern aviation reform and safer skies nationwide.
Leading Authority in Aviation Law
With decades of focused aviation litigation experience, this firm brings unparalleled knowledge to the most complex cases. Founding Partner Gary C. Robb authored the authoritative text on helicopter law, and the firms’ attorneys are widely regarded as the foremost experts in the field. No law firm is better equipped to navigate the technical, regulatory, and legal challenges that aviation cases is demand.