William J. Katt, Shareholder
Noteworthy Cases:
Fox 6 Helicopter
Smith v. Helinet: Attorney Bill Katt was retained by Helinet, Inc., a Los Angeles-based company that leases helicopters to news outlets. The Fox 6 helicopter originating out of Milwaukee was asked to make a promotional appearance at the Sheboygan County Airport in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The plaintiff was a powered paraglider pilot who was also at the event.
The plaintiff took off from the airport while the helicopter approached. The powered paraglider collapsed, causing a 40-foot fall for the plaintiff, which resulted in him eventually losing his leg. He alleged that the helicopter downwash blew him out of the air.
Through the use of experts in the field as well as the use of computerized animation, Katt was able to show that there was no connection between the helicopter pilot's activities and the crash of the powered paraglider. Furthermore, Katt successfully argued that the powered paraglider pilot failed to follow proper Federal Aviation Regulations by taking off while the helicopter approached.
The case was resolved for a nominal amount after the plaintiff's experts were deposed.
