Andrew Krausz

Andrew is recognised as a leading practitioner in the Who's Who Legal, specialising in aviation litigation work and handling a broad spectrum of aviation-related claims (including coverage), both in the UK and worldwide.

With a passion for all things aviation and with a proven track record in the courts as a "formidable litigator" and a tenacious problem solver, he has a particular interest in defending claims, typically those made against pilots and both GA and Airline operators.

Having graduated from the University of St Andrews and completed his legal training at the College of Law in York, he worked as Assistant to the Group Lawyer in the Legal Department of Monarch Airlines. Andrew then trained at Beaumont and Son and spent 13 and a half years in the Aviation Department at Clyde and Co.

Andrew has a broad practice that has typically included carrier/operator liability work (including major loss handling worldwide); product liability disputes; coroners' inquests; insurance coverage; and contractual and general commercial disputes. He has also assisted more broadly with regulatory and commercial issues.

Andrew is a qualified, current pilot with night rating. He also held a commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) Branch, for many years, where he had the opportunity to fly a wide variety of aircraft including piston and turbo-prop trainers, fast jets, helicopters and multi-engine types.

Experience

Indicative experience includes:

• Rogers v Hoyle and Ors (High Court and Court of Appeal) — Tiger Moth, G-AOIL accident, Dorset.
• R v Hoyle — Tiger Moth, G-AOIL accident, Dorset — assisting successful Criminal Defence of the pilot to Manslaughter and Endangering the Safety of an Aircraft.
• Allied Air accident, Ghana (Cargo Aircraft B-727 — Major Loss).
• Weal and Ors v Flying Time Ltd and Ors (High Court) — Defending claims in the collision between two aircraft Vans RV-6 G-RVGC and Diamond DA40 G-CEZR at Shoreham Airport.
• Various pilot estate and ground claims (TCC, High Court and County Court) — Engine failure and crash of Piper Tomahawk G-RVRK into a residential area of Eccles, Cheshire.
• Leicester Airport mid-air collision between Pitts G-IICI and Luscombe G-BVXS aircraft.
• Various claims in PFG Tripacer G-ARHN accident, Southampton.
• Various claims in Gazelle, G-WDEV crash, Salisbury.
• Cemair accident, Democratic Republic of Congo — Reinsurance and various multi-jurisdictional claims including Forum Non-Conveniens.
• Muirhead and McCready v FB Heliservices and Ministry of Defence. Complex claim involving the collision of two Squirrel helicopters at Ternhill.
• Major loss of Challenger Business Jet, D-ARWE Almaty, Kazakhstan. Dealing with multi-jurisdictional claims and complex s.76B issues.
• G-STYX microlight accident, Isle of Sheppey. Representing deceased pilot interests in catastrophic technical failure case.
• Sims v Carruthers and Ors [2013]. Successfully defending microlight school.
• Stisted and Ors v Smith, Wooldridge and Ors. Helicopter Major Loss N-2NR. Dealing with certain coverage issues.
• Evans v Pascall and Blaver-Mann. Helicopter Major Loss G-WOOW. Dealing with certain coverage issues.
• John Abrahm v British International Helicopters Limited [2013] — Scotland. Successful strike out for want of prosecution.
• Beechview Aviation Limited v AXA Insurance Limited [2016] (successful subrogated claim in the High Court in Northern Ireland)
• Complex engineering dispute involving a business jet — ongoing litigation in Nigeria
• Numerous cases successfully defended at Trial in the County Courts for airlines with defences under the Montreal Convention (and dealing with other regulations such as EC261/2004). Examples include:
  • James Brown v Monarch Airlines Limited [2014]
  • Phyllis Hutchison v Thomas Cook Airlines Limited and Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited [2013] — Scotland
  • Christine Buckley v Monarch Airlines Limited — [2012]
  • Jacqueline Foster v Thomas Cook Group PLC — [2011]
  • Keith Barraclough v Thomas Cook Airlines Limited — [2010]
  • Mohammed Hanif v Pakistan International Airlines Corp — [2009]
• Successfully defending insurers in various fraudulent aircraft damage cases.
• Experience in successfully defending a wide range of hot air balloon, microlight, fixed and rotary light aircraft, ground, business jet, airliner and military claims including defending the Red Arrows.

Andrew regularly presents in a number of industry forums.