Los Angeles Injury Attorney Blog

RIVERSIDE COUNTY - Two men, both 42, tragically fell to their deaths Thursday afternoon when they collided mid-air while skydiving at Perris Valley Skydiving, the Los Angeles Times reported. One of the victims, Patrick James McGowan II, of Menifee, was a veteran skydiving instructor with more than 17,000 jumps logged. The other victim was identified as Christopher David Stasky, of San Diego. Both men were reportedly unable to inflate their canopies as they descended over the airport after they collided.

The incident was reported at about 4:00 p.m. on March 31, 2011. According to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff-coroner, the incident is under investigation by the Riverside County Coroner, the Perris Police Department, the NTSB and the FAA. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Perris Police Deputy Recksiek at (951)210-1000.

Skydiving deaths are rare, especially compared to statistics for car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other accident deaths. This accident follows several recent skydiving deaths in the Perris area. On February 28, 2012, Nicole Hannon, 41, was killed in a skydiving accident when her chute failed to open. On April 30, 2010, a 38-year-old Russian man was killed when he collided with another skydiver in a multi-person jump. On December 28, 2008, a 33-year-old Newport Beach woman was killed when her parachute failed to deploy.

With any accident, it is so important to understand what happened and why an accident occurred. Why did the two skydivers collide in midair? Why were neither of them unable to open their parachutes. Parachutes provided to skydivers must be tested before being strapped on. If either parachute failed because a design or manufacturing defect, the manufacturer of the equipment could be liable. If this collision was caused by negligence of the Skydiving Center, the facility could be held liable in a wrongful death claim.

While this accident remains under investigation by several agencies, the family members of the victims would be well-advised to contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer, who is knowledgeable in product liability and wrongful death claims. A skilled attorney can advise the best course of action for preserving evidence and holding accountable whoever is responsible for the families' heartbreaking losses.