 |
 |
 |
|
L. Richard Musat
Member
(303) 292-2700
(303) 295-0414 (fax)
Founding Member
AV Peer Review Rated
Download my V-Card
Practice Statement
A trial lawyer with thirty years of experience in state and federal courts, Mr. Musat was graduated cum laude from Cleveland State University, where he received his J.D. With extensive trial experience in the areas of aviation law, products liability, contractual disputes, fires and explosions, commercial arbitrations, professional liability, recreational torts and personal and wrongful death actions, Mr. Musat is a diversified trial lawyer.
Mr. Musat is a licensed pilot with single-engine, multi-engine and instrument ratings. He has represented both insurers and insureds in numerous aviation-related disputes. Notably, Mr. Musat was trial counsel in a federal multi-district litigation trial involving the crash of an air carrier's jet. He also coordinated the defense of numerous state court wrongful death and injury actions resulting from that same crash. Mr. Musat has been lead counsel in state and federal courts on behalf of his clients in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Mr. Musat also has extensive experience in defending attorneys, real estate brokers and agents, and certified public accountants in professional liability actions, and has served as regional coordinating counsel for mortgage insurance companies.
Mr. Musat serves on the Board of Directors of the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association, and as Chairperson for the association for the State of Colorado.
Education
Cleveland State University
J.D. (1975)
Cum Laude
Ohio State
University
B.A. (1971)
Admissions
Kentucky (1975)
Ohio (1976)
Colorado (1976)
United States District Court, Colorado (1976)
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit (1976)
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (1976)
United States Supreme Court (1981)
Practice Focus
Aviation Law
Memberships and Associations
American Bar Association
Colorado Bar Association
Denver Bar Association
International Association of Defense Counsel
Defense Research Institute
Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association
Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association
Faculty of Federal Advocates
Military
United States Air Force Reserve, Honorable Discharge
Languages
Spanish
Reported Cases
Denver Air Center v District Court, 839 P.2d 1182
In re Aircrash Disaster at Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado on November 15, 1987, 720 F. Supp. 1442 (D. Colo. 1989)
Goldsmith v. Learjet, 90 F.3d 1490 (10th Cir. 1996)
Publications
Co-Author, Strict Product Liability and Comparative Fault in Colorado, THE COLORADO LAWYER, October, 1990.
Contributing Editor, Newsletter of TIPS (Tort and Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association) Aviation and Space Law Committee, 1991 to present.
Major Case List
In Re Crested Butte State Bank Propane Explosion (Jury Trial 1992) Mr. Musat was trial counsel for Salida Gas Service Company in this multiple death, multiple injury case that proceeded to a consolidated liability trial and subsequent damage trials.
In Re Air Crash Disaster at Stapleton Airport (Jury Trial, MDL, 1988) Continental Flight 1713, November 15, 1987. 28 fatalities, 55 serious injuries. Mr. Musat was lead counsel for Continental Airlines. The case was tried to a jury in United States District Court in 1988 in a consolidated MDL trial. Continental received a defense verdict on punitive damages. A defense verdict was obtained for Continental's holding company Texas Air Corporation. Low jury verdicts prevailed in damage trials.
In Re Stapleton Fuel Farm Fire, 1990 - Mr. Musat handled all claims and trials against the manager (A subsidiary of American Airlines) of the fuel facilities at the Denver Airport. Claims exceeded 50 million dollars.
In Re Helicopter Crash near Santa Cruz, Bolivia - Mr. Musat handled all claims that resulted from 5 wrongful death cases filed by the families of 5 deceased oil executives.
In Re Crash of Gulfstream jet at Palwaukee Airport (Jury Trial one 2001, Jury Trial two 2003) Mr. Musat was chief trial counsel for Aon Corporation who was named as a defendant in this four fatality crash. Two lengthy wrongful death trials were held in state court in Cook County, Ill.
In Re Air Crash near Lockerbie, Scotland - Mr. Musat handled wrongful death jury trials in Brooklyn, New York, filed as a result of the crash of PanAm 103 near Lockerbie, Scotland.
Skywest Commuter crash near Elko, Nevada - Mr. Musat handled wrongful death cases filed against Skywest Airlines and Delta Airlines as a result of crash of Fairchild Metroliner. One case proceeded to jury trial in United States District Court in Reno, Nevada in 1995.
In Re Midair Crash near Atlanta, Georgia (1998-2000) Mr. Musat defended the owner operator of a Citation Jet that was involved in a Mid-air collision and 5 fatalities. Liability was successfully placed on the United States for air traffic controller negligence.
In Re: Oklahoma State University Crash Litigation - Mr. Musat defended the owner operator of the aircraft that was involved in this 10 fatality King Air airplane crash that occurred in January of 2001. The wrongful death cases were consolidated in State court in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and concluded in 2005.
In Re TWA – Conquest Crash at Lambert Field, St. Louis, MO (Jury Trial 1998) Mr. Musat successfully defended to a defense verdict the operator of a chartered Conquest aircraft. Two fatalities and numerous personal injury and property damage cases were tried in consolidated proceedings in United States District of Missouri. Liability was successfully placed on the United States of America for all damages.
Taughanock Aviation (Jury Trial 1994) This four fatality crash trial was tried in the Supreme Court of Cayuga County, Auburn, NY and resulted in a defense verdict.
Idaho Helicopters (Jury Trial 1999) Defense verdict regarding "Super Huey" crash.
Mr. Musat has handled several cases for the largest EMS Medical helicopter operator in the United States resulting from several multiple fatality emergency medical service helicopter crashes in West Virginia, Utah, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico and California.
|
|
|
 |
