Family files $50M Suit Against U.S Helicopter Maker Following Death of Former Savoura CEO and Teen Son Killed in Quebec Crash Français
Plaintiffs Cite 'Unacceptable Negligence' in Fatal Helicopter Accident
MONTREAL, March 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Daniel Roy, executor of the estate of former Savoura CEO Stéphane Roy, announced today that the Roy family has filed a $50M lawsuit against Robinson Helicopter Company, Inc., the U.S. manufacturer of the R44 helicopter involved in the July 2019 crash that tragically killed Stéphane Roy and his 15-year-old son, Justin.
The lawsuit was initially filed in California on July 8, 2021. Robinson Helicopter sought to move the case to Quebec, viewing it as a more favorable jurisdiction. In January 2025, the California Court of Appeal ruled the case would indeed proceed in Quebec.
"My family and I are determined to uncover the complete truth behind this tragic event that took my brother and nephew," Daniel Roy said. "Investigations by the Transportation Safety Board and independent experts have uncovered significant negligence by Robinson Helicopter. Without accountability, tragedies like this could happen again. We discovered numerous similar incidents involving Robinson aircraft. Our mission is to end these preventable tragedies and hold Robinson accountable."
On July 10, 2019, Stéphane Roy and his son disappeared while returning from a fishing trip aboard a Robinson R44 helicopter. Their disappearance sparked an extensive two-week search involving the Canadian Armed Forces, Quebec Provincial Police (SQ), the Canadian Coast Guard, and hundreds of volunteers.
"All analyses, conducted by both the TSB and independent experts, point to gross negligence by the helicopter manufacturer. Today, there is no indication that such a tragedy could not happen again. A closer look at Robinson Helicopter Company reveals numerous tragedies involving similar Robinson aircraft, including the one my brother piloted. Many families were shattered on that tragic day in July 2019, and we will do everything in our power to ensure these tragedies caused by unacceptable negligence come to an end," stated Daniel Roy, brother and executor of Stéphane Roy's estate.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigated and issued a report in March 2021 concluding that the crash near Lake Valtrie in Quebec resulted from the failure of a main rotor blade. The Roy family engaged Motley Rice, a leading U.S. aviation litigations firm, and private aviation experts to thoroughly investigate and identify preventive measures that should have been implemented to prevent this tragic crash.
In the context of the Quebec proceedings, the Roy family has retained the services of Woods LLP, a renowned litigation firm based in Montréal.
SOURCE Succession Stephane Roy
Media contact: Nick Hennen, [email protected], 843-872-1846, Motley Rice LLC
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