This is a sample. I prepared it from public sources, and no law firm retained me for it. The sample defense brief shows the full sourcing.
On Jan. 29, 2025, American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. The collision killed 67 people. Families sued American Airlines and the federal government. Judge Ana Reyes set a jury trial for April 2027.
I studied what American Airlines was saying and doing in public. I used only its own statements and news coverage.
American had a clear public position. It said its flight was on a routine approach when the Army helicopter, flying above its published route altitude, collided with it. It said it would defend itself against any claim that it caused or contributed to the crash.
American moved fast and at scale. It reported that more than 220 CARE Team members from more than 80 departments and 30 locations deployed overnight to Washington and Wichita.
American then made that support longer term. By May 2025 the work was under a vice president, described as the single point of contact for the families and in touch with several families every day.
So the company the families were suing was also the company in regular contact with them.
None of it was hidden, and none of it was improper. It was organized, staffed and consistent. The families’ side needs the same.
This is the first thing I do on every matter. A lawyer should know what the other side is saying and doing before deciding what to say.
American had the right to contact the families. The families and the public also need to hear the other side of the story.