Accident Places Manslaughter Charges on Plane Mechanic

When the Concorde blew up on the runway a few years back, it was determined that a piece of metal on the runway from a prior takeoff caused the accident. A Continental jet had a piece of metal fall off during takeoff. The metal caused the Concorde tires to blow and tire pieces get sucked into the engines when the supersonic jet rolled down the same runway for takeoff. A French court just recently ruled that the mechanic who installed the metal fitting would be charged with manslaughter. In addition Continental Airlines was charged too. This is a dangerous precedent in my opinion. There are times that accidents are just that accidents. To charge a company and one of its employees for manslaughter is really scary. First as a risk manager, there is no real way to risk manage this situation other than avoidance. This means companies will stop making airplanes. Second, there is no insurance policy that can cover companies or employees who are convicted of criminal felonies. Again the only choice is to close up shop and stop making products. I hope this case is not used in American courts because I can see this crippling the manufacturing sectors and economic growth. Until next time be careful out there and know your risks. K

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