Celeb DJ Sues Pilots Over S.C. Jet Crash

DJ AM Suing Companies And Pilots' Estates; Rocker Travis Barker Was Only Other Survivor

(AP)  A celebrity disc jockey who survived a fiery Learjet crash in South Carolina has sued several companies and the estates of the plane's pilots.

Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, filed his complaint for negligence and breach of contract Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Goldstein and punk rocker Travis Barker, who has also sued the companies, were the sole survivors of the Sept. 19 crash.

Barker sued on behalf of the family of his bodyguard, Charles Still, and the widow of Barker's assistant, Chris Baker, filed her own lawsuit earlier this month.

Goldstein and Barker were seriously burned escaping the plane. The pair plan to perform together again for the first time since the crash at an event in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. They perform under the name TRVSDJAM.

Goldstein's lawsuit seeks a jury trial, but doesn't specify how much money he hopes to receive for loss of earnings, medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages.

He is also suing the estates of the plane's pilots, Sarah Lemmon, and James Bland. A phone number for Lemmon's mother couldn't be located, and Bland's wife declined to comment Wednesday.

The lawsuit claims the plane's owners and operators acted in a careless and negligent manner and that Goldstein has been seriously harmed - physically and financially - by the crash.

Federal investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash.

Aviation authorities have said cockpit recordings indicated the jet's crew thought a tire had blown during takeoff. National Transportation Safety Board officials have said pieces of tire were recovered about 2,800 feet from where the plane started its takeoff down the 8,600-foot runway in Columbia, S.C.

The lawsuit names Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., which in response to Barker's lawsuit said that it was too soon to speculate on what role tires may have played in the crash. Also named were Bombardier Inc., which manufactures Learjet planes and doesn't comment on pending lawsuits.

Clay Lacy Aviation, Global Exec Aviation and Inter Travel and Services Inc. are also named as defendants. A Clay Lacy representative said in response to Barker's suit that the company didn't operate the plane that crashed, but merely brokered the flight.

A receptionist for Global Exec Aviation said no one would be available to comment because of the Christmas holiday, and a phone number for Inter Travel and Services couldn't be located Wednesday morning.


© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Add a Comment

by toolmangler-2009 December 24, 2008 4:28 PM PST

So the pilots families have lost husbands and fathers to a plane crash and everything they own to a guy that makes more money than their husbands ever earned.
smmooooootthh move DJ.

Reply to this comment

by rhs648 December 24, 2008 5:09 PM PST

So the pilots families have lost husbands and fathers to a plane crash and everything they own to a guy that makes more money than their husbands ever earned.
smmooooootthh move DJ.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ToolMangler

ToolMangler - Is it really that simple? The article stated that DJ and Barker were seriously burned and suffered loss of income and had medical expenses. This case may involve negligence. It will be up to the jury to decide who, if anyone, was negligent. In this type of case, it is usual to name anyone and everyone who might be involved. Doctors and Hospitals face these cases all of the time. It is up to the courts and juries to sort these things out.

Reply to this comment

by downsteamjim December 24, 2008 5:26 PM PST

Travis Barker looked pretty toasted before the plane crash.

Reply to this comment

by toolmangler-2009 December 24, 2008 5:44 PM PST

ToolMangler - Is it really that simple? The article stated that DJ and Barker were seriously burned and suffered loss of income and had medical expenses. This case may involve negligence. It will be up to the jury to decide who, if anyone, was negligent. In this type of case, it is usual to name anyone and everyone who might be involved. Doctors and Hospitals face these cases all of the time. It is up to the courts and juries to sort these things out.
Posted by rhs648 at 05:09 PM : Dec 24, 2008


I understood all of this before hand.
My point is that I felt the suit against the dead pilots estates here at Christmas was a bit over the top. They could have been added at anytime before court hearings.

Reply to this comment

by mmfrgrrl December 24, 2008 9:48 PM PST

What a bunch of jerks. Accidents happen. IF you have to be the selfish a$$ who desires more money, go after the airline, not the grieving family. Hey, junior, not only is your daddy and momma gone, but now we are losing the house and your college fund. Selfish, selfish, selfish. My house burned to the ground when I was 16, guess my mom should have sued the family of the guy who built it.

Reply to this comment

by cdfoxtrot6 December 24, 2008 11:24 PM PST

You would think they''d be grateful they survived this terrible accident. But no. They have to go after the families that lost their loved ones. I''m sure the pilots didn''t deliberately crash the friggin plane. Leave their grieving families alone, you greedy ba$tards.

Reply to this comment

by oldpilot954 December 25, 2008 1:31 AM PST

If there is negligence involved, I understand and they deserve compensation. The problem is that in our court system the person being sued looses no matter what the verdict. Most of the time the lawsuits are frivolous but the goal is to make the companies hand over the money out of court. The pitch is that you''ll spend a few million defending yourself so why not just give them the money and save yourself the trouble. Besides, if it does go to a jury it might be many times that amount because juries work on emotions more than justice. For those pilot''s families it means losing what little they have left for defense lawyer fees even if their deceased family members are totally innocent. For the larger companies it means that the next purchasers get to pay higher prices or they quit making aircraft products and millions of dollars of aircraft get parked for lack of economical parts.

Reply to this comment

by airboatboy1 December 25, 2008 5:58 AM PST

DJ AM? Hey Goldstein, what''s the J stand for?

Reply to this comment

by runningralph December 25, 2008 10:04 AM PST

oldpilot954 has it right. Ambulance chasing shysters can squeeze your blood out. A big drag on our economy is that anyone that makes money knows that shysters will come after them. On the brighter side, it''s a good chance these two freaks will OD before the case is finalized.

Reply to this comment

by cricketmk3 December 27, 2008 5:52 AM PST

The pilots made a split second decision when a tire blew that cost them their lives...I''m sure they didn''t intend to kill anyone much less themselves!! How do Goldstein and Barker think the landing would have gone without that tire? They ought to be dang thankful they are alive! They both look ok considering the shape they could be in...they''re well enough to be causing misery to others. I hope this hurts both of their careers and they come to regret their greediness.

Reply to this comment

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[toolmangler-2009]

So the pilots families have lost husbands and fathers to a plane crash and everything they own to a guy that makes more money than their husbands ever earned.
smmooooootthh move DJ.

[rhs648]

So the pilots families have lost husbands and fathers to a plane crash and everything they own to a guy that makes more money than their husbands ever earned.
smmooooootthh move DJ.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ToolMangler

ToolMangler - Is it really that simple? The article stated that DJ and Barker were seriously burned and suffered loss of income and had medical expenses. This case may involve negligence. It will be up to the jury to decide who, if anyone, was negligent. In this type of case, it is usual to name anyone and everyone who might be involved. Doctors and Hospitals face these cases all of the time. It is up to the courts and juries to sort these things out.

[downsteamjim]

Travis Barker looked pretty toasted before the plane crash.

[toolmangler-2009]

ToolMangler - Is it really that simple? The article stated that DJ and Barker were seriously burned and suffered loss of income and had medical expenses. This case may involve negligence. It will be up to the jury to decide who, if anyone, was negligent. In this type of case, it is usual to name anyone and everyone who might be involved. Doctors and Hospitals face these cases all of the time. It is up to the courts and juries to sort these things out.
Posted by rhs648 at 05:09 PM : Dec 24, 2008


I understood all of this before hand.
My point is that I felt the suit against the dead pilots estates here at Christmas was a bit over the top. They could have been added at anytime before court hearings.

[mmfrgrrl]

What a bunch of jerks. Accidents happen. IF you have to be the selfish a$$ who desires more money, go after the airline, not the grieving family. Hey, junior, not only is your daddy and momma gone, but now we are losing the house and your college fund. Selfish, selfish, selfish. My house burned to the ground when I was 16, guess my mom should have sued the family of the guy who built it.

[cdfoxtrot6]

You would think they''d be grateful they survived this terrible accident. But no. They have to go after the families that lost their loved ones. I''m sure the pilots didn''t deliberately crash the friggin plane. Leave their grieving families alone, you greedy ba$tards.

[oldpilot954]

If there is negligence involved, I understand and they deserve compensation. The problem is that in our court system the person being sued looses no matter what the verdict. Most of the time the lawsuits are frivolous but the goal is to make the companies hand over the money out of court. The pitch is that you''ll spend a few million defending yourself so why not just give them the money and save yourself the trouble. Besides, if it does go to a jury it might be many times that amount because juries work on emotions more than justice. For those pilot''s families it means losing what little they have left for defense lawyer fees even if their deceased family members are totally innocent. For the larger companies it means that the next purchasers get to pay higher prices or they quit making aircraft products and millions of dollars of aircraft get parked for lack of economical parts.

[airboatboy1]

DJ AM? Hey Goldstein, what''s the J stand for?

[runningralph]

oldpilot954 has it right. Ambulance chasing shysters can squeeze your blood out. A big drag on our economy is that anyone that makes money knows that shysters will come after them. On the brighter side, it''s a good chance these two freaks will OD before the case is finalized.

[cricketmk3]

The pilots made a split second decision when a tire blew that cost them their lives...I''m sure they didn''t intend to kill anyone much less themselves!! How do Goldstein and Barker think the landing would have gone without that tire? They ought to be dang thankful they are alive! They both look ok considering the shape they could be in...they''re well enough to be causing misery to others. I hope this hurts both of their careers and they come to regret their greediness.