Wigwe: The family of the late former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, who tragically lost his life in a Southern California helicopter crash in February, has initiated legal action against the US helicopter company. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, targets the company responsible for the charter flight.
Among the passengers aboard the ill-fated helicopter were Dr. Herbert Wigwe, former Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son. The Ogunbanjo family asserts that the flight should have been grounded due to hazardous weather conditions.
In February, the tragic crash claimed the lives of Wigwe, his wife, and his son in California near the Nevada border. According to reports from the Press Enterprise, relatives of Ogunbanjo allege that Orbic Air, the charter company, negligently operated the helicopter despite adverse weather conditions including snow and rain in the Mojave Desert where the accident occurred on Feb. 9.
Andrew C. Robb, one of the attorneys involved in the lawsuit, emphasized the family’s pursuit of “answers and accountability,” stressing that the circumstances leading to the crash were entirely preventable. He highlighted the unsuitability of helicopters for snowy and icy conditions.
Ogunbanjo’s wife and two children have filed a lawsuit:
Ogunbanjo’s wife and two children have filed a lawsuit in San Bernardino County Superior Court against Orbic Air and its CEO, Brady Bowers, citing wrongful death and negligence. The suit also implicates the unidentified successors of Pettingill and Hansen, whom Ogunbanjo’s family holds responsible. Orbic Air has not provided any comment on the matter.
The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the crash, with a preliminary report released in February detailing the helicopter’s flight path and the aftermath of the crash. Witnesses described seeing a “fireball” amidst rainy and snowy conditions at the time of the accident.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial to address Ogunbanjo’s burial and funeral expenses, as well as other damages. Robb & Robb, the law firm representing Ogunbanjo’s family, has a history of handling similar cases, having previously represented Vanessa Bryant in her lawsuit following Kobe Bryant’s fatal helicopter crash in 2020.
