The bereaved relatives of the late Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the past Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group who tragically lost his life in a helicopter accident this past February, have initiated legal action against the US-based helicopter service involved in the incident.
Abimbola Ogunbanjo was among the passengers, including Dr. Herbert Wigwe, the former CEO of Access Holdings, along with his family, when the helicopter they were traveling in met with a disastrous end in California close to the state line with Nevada.
In the legal documents submitted on April 10th, the Ogunbanjo family contends that the flight was doomed from the start due to adverse meteorological conditions. They argue that the helicopter operated by Orbic Air should never have taken off amidst the perilous combination of snow and rain that plagued the Mojave Desert on the day of the crash, as reported by the Press Enterprise.
Andrew C. Robb, one of the attorneys spearheading the lawsuit, expressed the family’s quest for truth and justice in the aftermath of the tragedy. In a statement to The Associated Press, Robb emphasized the vulnerability of helicopters to inclement weather such as snow and ice. He questioned the rationale behind the flight’s departure, underlining that the accident could have been avoided.
The lawsuit, which has been filed in the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, targets both Orbic Air and its CEO, Brady Bowers. The Ogunbanjo family accuses them of wrongful death and negligence. The legal action also implicates Pettingill and Hansen’s unidentified heirs, whom the family deems liable.
As of now, Orbic Air has not issued any statements concerning the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board continues its thorough investigation of the devastating crash.