Multi-million dollar settlement reached in helicopter crash

Indianapolis (WISH) - The court approved a $5.6 million settlement for the children of a single mother and flight nurse who died in a 2008 helicopter crash.

On August 31, 2008, Sandra Pearson, a 38-year-old Registered Nurse and mother of two, was working as a member of an Air Evac helicopter rescue team based out of Rushville, Ind. While returning to base from a charity function, the helicopter operated by the Air Evac team suffered a catastrophic failure of the main rotor blade. The blade came apart in mid-air and Sandra Pearson was killed in the resulting crash. Sandra was survived by her two children, ages seven and nine.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation and research by expert air crash investigators revealed the helicopter’s rotor blade fractured due to defects created during the manufacturing of the blade.

“This is a unique settlement for this type of case as Pearson was a single mother with no spouse,” explained Roy Tabor. “Usually in cases involving the death of a parent, the value of the case is determined based on the age of the children and the age of the spouse and reflects the income loss for both the children and the spouse.” Since Pearson had no surviving spouse, the settlement was based on the children’s loss only.

The multi-million dollar settlement will provide for the future Pearson’s two young children.