The family of the late former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, who tragically perished in a helicopter crash in Southern California in February, initiated legal action against the US helicopter company.
Also aboard the ill-fated helicopter were Dr. Herbert Wigwe, former Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son.
The Ogunbanjo family asserted that the flight should have been canceled due to hazardous weather conditions.
In February, Wigwe, his wife, and son lost their lives in a helicopter crash near the Nevada border in California, USA.
According to reports from the Press Enterprise, relatives of Ogunbanjo alleged in the court filing that the charter company, Orbic Air, negligently operated the helicopter despite adverse weather conditions, including a “wintry mix” of snow and rain in the Mojave Desert where the crash occurred on Feb. 9.
Andrew C. Robb, one of the attorneys representing the family, emphasized that Ogunbanjo’s loved ones are seeking “answers and accountability” through this legal action.
“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 lawsuit also names the unidentified successors of Pettingill and Hansen, whom Ogunbanjo’s family holds accountable. Orbic Air declined to provide any comment regarding the matter.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently conducting an investigation into the crash.
A preliminary investigation report released by the agency in February provided insights into the helicopter’s flight path and the extent of the wreckage.
Witnesses reported seeing a “fireball” during rainy and snowy conditions at the time of the crash.
The lawsuit requests a jury trial to cover Ogunbanjo’s burial and funeral expenses, as well as other damages. Robb & Robb, the law firm representing Ogunbanjo’s family, previously represented Vanessa Bryant in her lawsuit following Kobe Bryant’s fatal helicopter crash in 2020.