How does the court decide who is responsible for a plane crash?

When a plane crash occurs in Washington, the court must assess who is responsible for the accident. This is done in a legal process called apportionment of fault. The court will look at the facts of a case to determine what went wrong and who is to blame. Possible responsible parties can include the flight crew, maintenance personnel, aircraft manufacturers, air traffic controllers, and airport personnel. The court will also examine the plane’s equipment, engine, and other components to identify any mechanical malfunctions. An expert witness with knowledge of aviation regulations, mechanics, and accident investigation may be called to testify. On inspecting the evidence and testimony, the court must decide who is most at fault. This can be done through a comparative negligence system, which assigns a percentage of responsibility to each of the parties at fault, or through a contributory negligence system, which assigns all or most of the fault to one party. In addition, the court must decide if any laws or regulations were violated during the plane accident. If the court determines that someone was negligent, they may also order the culpable party to pay punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages, such as medical bills and lost wages. The court will also review the aviation insurance policies that were taken out to determine how much coverage the liable party has. After all the evidence has been examined and weighed, the court will make a ruling on who is liable for the plane crash.

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How does the court decide who is responsible for a plane crash?

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