Parents of CEO File Wrongful Lawsuit after Skydiving Death
The parents of former president and CEO of the Tulare Chamber of Commerce have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Adventure Center Skydiving alleging that she was given a defective parachute. 40-year-old Jennifer McCoun was killed in January of 2009 when the parachute she was using failed and began spinning. The lawsuit alleges that the steering handles for the parachute were defective and directly resulted in McCoun’s death. McCoun’s parents seek an unspecified amount in damages for fraud, wrongful death and emotional distress.
McCoun’s parents allege that the company never called the emergency contact numbers listed in the forms that McCoun signed prior to skydiving. As a result, her parents did not get to the hospital until after she had died. An FAA expert reportedly filed a report on the parachute stating that the parachute had been poorly maintained. The Velcro that holds the steering handles onto the chute was worn, which caused the parachute to spin when it was opened. The parents argue that the facility advertised that there were never any fatalities on record but in reality there were two. They argue this false advertisement and their daughter’s death all contributed to the emotional distress they suffer and is part of their wrongful death lawsuit.
Skydiving is a very dangerous activity that should only be performed by professionals or should be supervised closely by professionals when the jumper has little to no experience. In this incident, McCoun reportedly began jumping the summer prior to the accident; therefore she should have been monitored and assisted by a professional to avoid any accidents. In addition, the company should have ensured that the equipment that McCoun was using was in good condition to be used. The fact that nobody in the company noticed that the Velcro on the parachute handles was worn out demonstrates poor product maintenance and safety and now McCoun’s parents have suffered a tremendous loss. The company should be held accountable for the accident, especially if the information that they did not contact any of McCoun’s emergency contacts is true.
