Legal AF by MeidasTouch - Whoa! Trump Hit with Major Lawsuit from Plane Crashes

Episode Date: February 22, 2025

The first victim’s family of the 5 deadly plane crashes on Trump’s watch has filed their claim against the Trump Administration, FAA, and US Army, for $250 million dollars. Michael Popok explores the Federal Tort Claims Act and how Trump and his people have undermined air flight safety for Americans in just 4 weeks, as his failed presidency circles the drain. To get our $297 when you buy a PAIR offer, including a free charger, head to https://ShopMDHearing.com and use code LEGALAF. Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Bet MGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Some of the families of some of the victims of the five deadly plane crashes in America since Donald Trump took office are starting to file their cases and their claims against the federal government, including the U.S. Army and the FAA and ultimately the Trump administration. We've got a new notice under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which is how you start a case like

this for $250 million filed by the Crafton family out of Connecticut because Casey Crafton was on flight 5342, the doomed flight that was hit by a Blackhawk helicopter and ended up in the Potomac out in front of Reagan National Airport in the District of Columbia, Donald Trump's home court. Gonna talk about that particular victim case, victim filing, how you go through that process. We'll bring it all together here. I'm Michael Popock on Midas Touch and Legal AF. When you sue the government,

you have to first generally give them notice and they get 180 days to respond, try to resolve the matter in advance without having to go through a lawsuit. So if you are a victim of something that involves the government, that is the process that generally you have to take. And that is a 180 day process under the Federal Tort Claims Act. And that's what the Kraft and family using a law firm out of Chicago have done. And they have listed the amount of damages for the loss of this husband with three sons, ages seven, 10, and 12, at $250 million. There were 67 victims on that particular

flight. There are four other flights that have happened that led to fatalities. This will be a consistent pattern and blueprint going against the government. Now, if there are other defendants like an airline or the manufacturer of the helicopter, Sikorsky in this matter for the Blackhawk and other private parties, you can sue them separately. You can get your case started, but generally you're waiting for the start of the 180 days. If the government doesn't resolve the matter and they almost

never do with the amounts that are required, then you have the right to then take your case. You get your ticket to the courthouse as the plaintiff or the plaintiff's lawyer, this case the family, and then you file the case. Generally, the case will be filed either in the state in which the person resides or in the District of Columbia, it really depends, you know, the location of the crash. It really depends on all of those matters. Now, that is the real world human tragedy dimension of an administration like the Trump administration, which has taken their eye off the ball,

is hollowing out and firing all the people, for instance, in air safety, air traffic safety, that are important to that process. I mean, a week or two after the crash of 5342 and the loss of 67 people, Trump and his group and Elon Musk fired hundreds of employees of the FAA, the Federal Aviation Authority, and the rest, because they're just doing,

in order to throw up numbers so they can give back some sort of doge dividend to the American people. They don't care what it means to our public safety, what it means to our personal security, what it means to our loved ones who are flying either by choice with leisure travel or because they have to because they work, which requires travel. And you have the airlines sort of offering money,

American Airlines I think is offering $75,000 to each victim's family, no strings attached. In other words, not requiring the families to sign a release against future claims. You know, that's okay. I guess that helps the families and the immediate need for cash related to funeral expenses. Doesn't replace the person that has been lost in the crash

or the humanity related to that. And you lay this at the feet of the current administration, just as Donald Trump would do if Joe Biden had to take to the podium just days after his administration and talk about one, two, three, or five major disaster plane crashes. I mean, the one in DC, flight 5342, that was the deadliest crash in over 20 years. And then it was followed by four more. We've had over 90 total plane accidents in America since January.

Is this the time to fire qualified people from the FAA, I ask you? And then Carolyn LeVette, this press secretary, I know she's the youngest press secretary and it shows, she goes after Chuck Schumer because Chuck Schumer puts the blame on the Delta plane rollover in Minnesota, between Minnesota and Toronto. We've all seen the pictures, the upside down plane, miraculously, even though people were seriously injured, no one so far has died. That's a miracle.

And she says, oh, Chuck Schumer is pointing the finger at Donald Trump. We haven't resolved this. We haven't done the investigation yet. Well, maybe she should listen to her boss then. Because her boss took to the podium right after flight 5342, you know, much to the chagrin of the families, the grieving families of the victims,

and blamed DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion, killed those people because he claimed unqualified people were flying the planes. That's not what the facts so far show. So far it shows it's a combination of the helicopter for the army flying too high at a higher ceiling than they were supposed to or allowed to, maybe losing track of where they were,

and poor communication at the tower. Those things all became a perfect storm that killed Americans and other people on that plane. It was great seeing my mother-in-law from abroad over the holidays and have her visit with our baby daughter, but it also reminded me that she's getting older and that she doesn't have access to affordable hearing aids in her own country. Millions of adults every year over the age of 65 start to lose their hearing. If you or your parent are one of them, you are not alone. This podcast is sponsored by MD Hearing. MD Hearing

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and get a pair of hearing aids for just $297. And so for Carolyn LeVette to say, well, Donald Trump shouldn't be blamed. We have to get to the bottom of all of this. Well, he didn't get to the bottom of anything when he blamed air traffic controllers and DEI and Joe Biden and Obama particularly, and then started reading from the website of the FAA, same website, same disclosures that have

been up there when he was president about their focus on hiring. That's not what killed these passengers. Donald Trump's lack of focus, his transportation secretary already gurgling under the strain of the job. A mismatch of budget and people helped contribute to the death of these people. Now, let me tell you, this is personal to me. And in an interest of full disclosure, the Popak firm, my new firm, represents one of the families related to a victim on that same flight, 5342. And so that's why I formed the Popak firm, for this type of moment in your life, the catastrophic injury, the life altering, turned upside down moment. And I've got the team of

lawyers around the country to do it and bring justice like the family here that has been that at the Crafton family that's filed the claim. We'll be filing our claim as well and get in line for the process and get that 180 day clock ticking. You know, and this is why, you know, people ask me, why just start the firm, Michael? Sometimes they call me Bopak. I said, because I spent the last five years, 35 years first as a lawyer, trial lawyer,

national trial lawyer, and then here as a commentator and founder related to legal issues, legal AF, I co-founded with Ben Myself, and I get dozens and dozens a week of contacts and calls from people that wanted my help, you know? And I didn't really have the firm and the resources or the focus to do it.

But since the election, I'm focused. This was the time, this was the moment for me. Everybody's gotta do big things in response to the moment. And my big thing is full-time here on the Midas Touch Network, forming the Legal AF YouTube channel and forming the PO-POC firm. So all you gotta do is go to that website,

www.thepopepocfirm.com. You can even reach us by a 1-800 number, 1-877-LegalAF. So if you or any of your loved ones are involved with any of the plane crashes that we've talked about on Legal AF, there's your opportunity. I've got an amazing, an amazing team of top notch

aviation disaster experts working side by side with me. And so this gets me annoyed and pissed because this is the real world ramification of what Donald Trump is doing to hollow out the administrative state, hollow out agencies and departments, get rid of federal employees who are qualified, get rid of everybody who's qualified. There are too many levers of power in the government.

They can't all be pulled through the office of the president despite what his executive order says. I'm gonna be the lead lawyer for America. I'm gonna be the lead legal interpreter for America. I'm gonna be the the lead lawyer for America. I'm going to be the lead legal interpreter for America. I'm going to be the lead budget officer for America. I'm going to, have you seen this guy? Have you seen Donald Trump lately? Watch the Midas Touch Network, watch our hot takes.

This guy's four weeks into a job, he's gassed. If he was your employee and he acted this way, does anybody know what a condom is? And then, you know, we got a really, the federal authority, the aviation thing, you'd be like, are you okay? Are things okay at home? You'd pull out a doll and ask him,

show us where you hurt. This guy's already showing signs that he that the administration is gurgling and swirling the drain. We're four weeks in. We've got four years left. Does anybody really think Donald Trump's going to make it across the finish line at the rate he's going? Who's in charge of this government? Donald Trump's busy doing his mean social media posts and making himself a king and renaming the Gulf of Mexico. Who's running the government? We know who's running the government.

It's Elon Musk. It's easy. Who's sitting in the Oval Office answering questions? Elon Musk. Who's on a Fox News during a presidential interview answering questions? Elon Musk. Right? Who is running doge according to even Donald Trump?

Elon Musk. Who's responsible for the deaths of the people on these plane crashes? The Trump administration. And ultimately, Elon Musk, this is not the time to undermine and hollow out air safety, air safety employees and control. Now is the time to redouble our efforts and reassure the American people that air safety and air travel is where it should be. That's, you know, I hate to remind Trump how the economy works, but if people are scared to fly, that is bad

for the economy. There's a lot of economy that transits in the sky. I'm going to continue to follow it all right here on Legal AF and the Midas Touch Network. Take a minute, hit the subscribe button. Midas Touch Network, now the home of the number one podcast in America, the Midas Brothers podcast, Legal AF in the top 10 or so, all because of you. Come on over to Legal AF, the YouTube channel, hit that free subscribe button as well. Until my next reporting, I'm Michael Popock.

In collaboration with the Midas Touch Network, we just launched the Legal AF YouTube channel. Help us build this pro-democracy channel where I'll be curating the top stories the intersection of law and politics Go to YouTube now and free subscribe at legal AF MTN that's at legal AF MTN