Manhattan, New York Supreme Court Justice James d’Auguste. approved a $90 million settlement of a lawsuit filed by the family of a 26-year-old journalist who died when a sightseeing helicopter plummeted into the East River. The settlement comes after a jury awarded $116 million to surviving relatives of Trevor Cadigan in 2024 and counsel for the defendants moved to challenge the verdict. Both the verdict and the settlement set records for the highest single wrongful death amount in New York State history. Defendants Liberty Helicopters, the aircraft’s owner, and tour operator FlyNYON were found partially liable by the jury, who also attributed some liability to the manufacturer of the aircraft’s emergency flotation system, Dart Aerospace.
The fatal crash killed five individuals. The doorless helicopter plunged into the river after a looped strap on a harness worn by Cadigan caught and activated an emergency fuel shut-off level, cutting power to the engine. The helicopter flipped when it hit the water, as emergency flotation devices failed to inflate.
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