The saga of the Robinson Helicopters case (Hubei Gezhouba Sanlian Industrial Co., Ltd. and Hubei Pinghu Cruise Co., Ltd. v Robinson Helicopter Company, Inc) began in March 1995, and finally ended on August 12 2009 when a court in the US state of California upheld a US$6.5 million PRC judgment against the American aircraft manufacturer.
The case was triggered when a Robinson R-44 helicopter crashed into the Yangtze River, killing three people. The machine was owned by two Chinese companies – Hubei Gezhouba Sanlian Industrial and Hubei Pinghu Cruise. A few months after the crash they decided to sue the manufacturer in the US in an action based on negligence, strict liability and breach of implied warranty.
Interestingly, although the manufacturer was a US company, it applied for a...
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