The family of the late Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California in February, made a legal move on Wednesday by filing a lawsuit against the US-based helicopter company.
Onboard the ill-fated helicopter was also Dr. Herbert Wigwe, the former Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son.
The Ogunbanjo family pointed out that the flight should have been postponed because of the adverse weather conditions. In February, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, accompanied by his wife and son, met their demise in a helicopter crash near the Nevada border in California, United States of America.
As per the court filing submitted on Wednesday, the relatives of Ogunbanjo contended that the charter company, Orbic Air, failed to exercise proper judgment by operating the helicopter amidst a combination of snowy and rainy conditions in the Mojave Desert, where the tragic crash unfolded on February 9, according to the Press Enterprise.
One of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit, Andrew C. Robb, noted Ogunbanjo’s family is seeking “answers and accountability.”
“Helicopters do not do very well in snow and ice,” Robb told The Associated Press.
“This flight was entirely preventable, and we don’t know why they took off,” He added.
Ogunbanjo’s wife and two children have filed a lawsuit in San Bernardino County Superior Court against Orbic Air and its CEO, Brady Bowers, alleging wrongful death and negligence.
The suit also includes the unidentified successors of Pettingill and Hansen, whom Ogunbanjo’s family holds responsible. Orbic Air did not provide any comment on the matter.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash.
A preliminary investigation report released by the agency in February revealed details about the helicopter’s flight path and wreckage.
Witnesses described seeing a “fireball” during the rainy and snowy weather conditions at the time of the crash.
The lawsuit filed by Ogunbanjo’s family aims for a jury trial to cover expenses such as burial and funeral costs, as well as other damages. It’s worth mentioning that Robb & Robb, the legal team representing the family, previously handled Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit after Kobe Bryant’s fatal helicopter crash in 2020.