Leicester City’s owners have launched a £2.15 billion compensation claim against helicopter manufacturer Leonardo SpA, seeking damages for the deaths of five people, including the club’s former chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, in a 2018 crash.
The lawsuit, filed at the High Court in London, alleges that Leonardo is liable for the deaths of Srivaddhanaprabha, his two employees, pilot Eric Swaffer, and passengers Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.
The claim is based on the findings of an Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report, which concluded that the crash was caused by the failure of a tail rotor blade.
The AAIB report found that the tail rotor blade failed due to a manufacturing defect, which caused it to detach from the helicopter. This resulted in the aircraft losing control and crashing shortly after takeoff from Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.
The lawsuit alleges that Leonardo knew about the manufacturing defect but failed to warn customers or regulators about the risk. It also claims that the company failed to implement a safety modification that could have prevented the crash.
Leonardo has denied any wrongdoing and said it will vigorously defend itself against the claim. The company said that it is confident that the court will find that it is not liable for the crash.
The lawsuit is expected to be one of the largest fatal accident claims in English legal history. It is also likely to be a complex and lengthy legal battle.