The family of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the late owner of Leicester City Football Club, has lodged the largest fatal accident claim in English legal history following his death in a 2018 helicopter crash, their representatives confirmed on Friday.
The claim, filed with the High Court, seeks damages of £2.15 billion ($2.6 billion) against Leonardo S.p.A., the manufacturer of the helicopter involved in the fatal accident.
Vichai, along with four others, lost their lives when the helicopter crashed just outside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium in October 2018.
“My family feels the loss of my father as much today as we ever have done,” said Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Vichai’s son. “That my own children, and their cousins, will never know their grandfather compounds our suffering.”
An investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) revealed that the crash was caused by a damaged tail rotor, ruling out any fault on the part of the pilot.
“My father trusted Leonardo when he bought that helicopter but the conclusions of the report into his death show that his trust was fatally misplaced,” added Aiyawatt, who succeeded his father as Leicester City’s chairman. “I hold them wholly responsible for his death.”
A statement released on Friday said the claim includes compensation for loss of income and additional damages. It highlighted that King Power, the company founded by Vichai, had been generating annual revenues exceeding £2.5 billion, with a net profit peaking at £237 million ($289 million) the year before his untimely passing.
The AW169 helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo, had taken off from the pitch at the King Power Stadium following a Premier League match.
The AAIB inquiry found that the aircraft ascended to around 430 feet (130 meters) before spinning uncontrollably and crashing onto a concrete step outside the stadium.
The investigation pinpointed a seizure in the tail rotor duplex bearing as the cause of the accident.
The crash claimed the lives of Vichai, club employees Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer, and Swaffer’s partner, Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
“The foundation of the claim brought against Leonardo is the independent AAIB report released in September 2023. Considering the purview of the AAIB’s mission is to report on safety and not to blame, the report was as damning a report as I have ever read,” said Peter Neenan, a partner at Stewarts, the legal firm representing the Srivaddhanaprabha family.
Leonardo has stated its intent to contest the claim.
“Leonardo has the deepest sympathy for those who lost their lives in the accident, all of them clearly loved by their families, friends, and communities. Their deaths were an unquestionable tragedy,” the company said in a statement to The Associated Press.
“Leonardo is aware of the claim which has been issued by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s family in the English High Court and is considering this with its legal advisers and insurers. Leonardo intends to defend this claim.
“Leonardo notes that the AAIB Final Report, released in September 2023, has not directed any Recommended Actions to Leonardo. The AAIB report concluded that Leonardo complied with all regulatory requirements in both the design and manufacture of the AW169. Leonardo meets the most modern and stringent certification and safety standards in the sector. Any further comment on the claim at this time would be premature.”
