Steve Bell has advised aircraft manufacturers on aircraft accident investigations and defended claims arising from some of the worst aviation accidents in history, including TWA Flight 800, Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie, Air India Flight 182, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the friendly-fire shoot down of two U.S. Army helicopters by U.S. Air Force F-15 pilots over Northern Iraq and Special Operations Aviation Regiment crashes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In his defense of crash cases across the United States and overseas, Steve has obtained the first affirmances by the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Third, Sixth and Ninth Circuits of summary judgment rulings on government contractor defense grounds in aircraft crash litigation. Additional experience highlights include these trial victories:
- Government of Bolivia, et al. v. The Boeing Company (S.D. Fla.)
Obtained a defense verdict following a month-long trial in a case involving a jet that crashed after takeoff, killing or seriously injuring over 150 persons and damaging a government-owned soccer stadium. - Church v. Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. (E.D. Mo.)
After a trial to judge under admiralty law, the court ruled that our client’s ejection seat did not cause the death of an U.S. Air Force fighter pilot.
As co-chair of the firm’s Rotorcraft group, Steve has advised clients on hundreds of investigations involving helicopters and tiltrotors. In addition to representing rotorcraft manufacturers, he has represented pilots, operators, airports and owners of wires or cables struck by aircraft.
Ranked by Chambers USA 14 Years in a Row
Transportation: Aviation: Litigation
Professional Recognition
- Ranked by Chambers USA as "America's Leading Lawyer" in Transportation: Aviation: Litigation, 2010 – 2023
- Ranked by Chambers USA as a "Senior Statespeople," 2021 – 2023
- Listed in Who's Who Legal: Transport, 2014 – present
- Recognized in The Legal 500, Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense: Aerospace / Aviation, 2014 – 2015
- Named a “Leading Lawyer” by The Legal 500 for Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense: Aerospace / Aviation, 2015
- Listed in The International Who's Who of Aviation Lawyers, 2012 – present
- Listed in Expert Guides, "World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers," 2010 – present
- Listed in Expert Guides, "World's Leading Aviation Lawyers," 2004 – present
- Listed as a "Leading Lawyers" in Legal 500, Product Liability, 2007 – present
- Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
(AV®, BV® and CV® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.)
Professional Leadership
- Vice-Chair, ABA Aviation and Space Law Committee, 2001 - 2004