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Widows Of Troopers Killed In Copter Crash Sue For $50 Million

Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates of the Virginia State Police died in the crash of "Trooper One."
IMAGE: Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates of the Virginia State Police died in the crash of "Trooper One." (images: VSP/Hawes Spencer)

Widows of the two state troopers who died two years ago when their helicopter crashed on the outskirts of Charlottesville have filed wrongful death lawsuits against various parties, including the state, the state police, and the helicopter manufacturer. The plaintiffs contend that "Trooper One," which had been monitoring the deadly Unite the Right rally when it went went down, was a "maintenance nightmare." Hawes Spencer has this report 

Transcript:

Hawes Spencer: University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias says the $50 million suits against government entities would need to prove "gross negligence" in order to compensate the families above Virginia's $100,000 cap on claims.

Carl Tobias:  That's an incredible discrepancy between that and what the plaintiffs are seeking now.

Spencer:  He says there's a reason for a settlement in an amount higher than the cap.

Tobias:  These were public officials doing their public duty.

Spencer:  A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board has led some experts to suggest a mechanical failure, but the final report is not expected until next year.

In Charlottesville, Hawes Spencer for VPM News.