The family of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the former Leicester City owner who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2018, has filed a £2.15 billion ($2.63 billion) lawsuit against the helicopter’s manufacturer, Leonardo S.p.A.
The legal action was initiated at London’s High Court on Friday, with the family accusing the Italian company of liability for the billionaire’s death.
Srivaddhanaprabha and four others were killed when his personal helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from Leicester City’s King Power Stadium in October 2018.
According to Stewarts Law, the family’s legal representatives, the claim seeks compensation for loss of earnings, funeral expenses, and the pain the Thai businessman endured before his death.
A report from Britain’s Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) revealed “serious concerns” about the helicopter’s safety.
It concluded that the crash was caused by the seizure of a key component in the tail rotor, which had been identified during the design phase as critical to the aircraft’s functionality.
The failure of this component led to a catastrophic sequence of events, rendering the helicopter uncontrollable before it crashed and burst into flames.
The AAIB also determined there was nothing the pilot could have done to prevent the crash, raising questions about Leonardo’s design and manufacturing processes.
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Vichai’s son and successor as Leicester City chairman, expressed his family’s grief and disappointment in a statement. “My family feels the loss of my father as much today as we ever have done.
That my own children and their cousins will never know their grandfather compounds our suffering,” he said.
He criticized Leonardo for the design flaws identified in the AAIB report, stating, “My father trusted Leonardo when he bought that helicopter, but the conclusions of the report into his death show that his trust was fatally misplaced. I hold them wholly responsible for his death.”
Before his death, Srivaddhanaprabha’s Thai travel retail group, King Power, was a thriving business generating over £2.5 billion in annual revenue, with a net profit of £237 million in the year leading up to the crash.
The family’s legal claim reflects the significant financial loss they have suffered due to his untimely death.
The case shines a spotlight on aircraft safety standards and the responsibilities of manufacturers in ensuring the reliability of their designs.
As legal proceedings continue, the lawsuit is expected to draw global attention to aviation safety and corporate accountability.