A judge ruled this week that the U.S. government must pay a Massachusetts lawyer millions of dollars in damages after he sustained severe injuries from crashing his snowmobile into a parked, camouflaged Army Black Hawk helicopter.
On the night of March 12, 2019, Jeff Smith was driving down a snowmobile trail in Worthington, Massachusetts, when disaster struck. His vehicle collided with the 64-foot government chopper that had landed there just before sunset.
The tragedy nearly cost Smith his life, which led to the start of a five-year legal battle against the U.S. government. The lawsuit was originally seeking to collect $9.5 million for lost wages and medical bills.
On September 23, U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni concluded that while both parties were responsible for the accident, the government bore the majority of the liability. Mastroianni criticized the military for parking the aircraft on a designated trail for snow vehicles. He also pointed out that Smith was driving too fast and wearing tinted goggles, which may have impaired his vision in the dark.
Despite the judge's reproach, Smith, who's been receiving disability assistance ever since the accident, was awarded $3.3 million.
The government has 60 days to either file an appeal or provide the multi-million dollar payment to Smith, according to AP News.
Prior to this win, Smith also sued the owner of Albert Farms airfield, alleging negligence in allowing helicopters and snowmobilers to share the same space. He received a settlement payout for an undisclosed amount.
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