Meet Andres Pereira

Ben Cannon

Author

Andres Pereira

An Attorney and Pilot with Experience in Aviation Litigation

Andres Pereira has spent more than 30 years representing the victims of aviation disasters as both a lawyer and a pilot. He fights for the families and survivors who face some of the most powerful corporations in the world at the most devastating moment of their lives, and he wins: dozens of successful cases and multi-million dollar recoveries across commercial, international, and general aviation.

Throughout his career, Andres has made the aviation legal world less intimidating and more accessible for his clients, bringing to every case a rare dual perspective: the experience of a trial lawyer who has fought these battles for decades, and the technical fluency of an instrument-rated pilot in both complex fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

That command of aircraft systems, pilot training, federal aviation regulations, meteorological factor analysis, and rotor wing assemblies has driven results across commercial aviation crashes, international aviation disasters, small aircraft and general aviation accidents, and claims under the Montreal Convention.

Samples of Aviation Accidents Handled by Andres Pereira

Andres has worked on aviation matters since he began his law studies. He represented four of the families of the 260 passengers killed when American Airlines flight 587 crashed in the Queens, NY neighborhood of Belle Harbor, and every case resulted in a multi-million dollar recovery.

He has also represented families who lost loved ones in US Air flight 427, the crash of a Boeing 737 outside Pittsburgh, and TAN-SAHSA flight 414, which crashed upon landing in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He brings extensive knowledge of the Federal Tort Claims Act and the regulations governing claims involving military aircraft, such as the 2025 midair collision over Washington, D.C.

In February 2025, when Delta Flight 4819 landed upside down and caught fire at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Andres filed the first lawsuit arising from the crash, on behalf a client from Austin, Texas. The client survived hanging upside down in the burning, fuel-soaked cabin, suffering back, neck, and facial injuries when he released his seatbelt and fell onto the ceiling of the overturned aircraft.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Delta and Endeavor Air, the case seeks damages under the Montreal Convention far beyond the $30,000 payment Delta offered each of the 80 passengers and crew members who survived. The case is part of the consolidated federal litigation, In re Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, while the Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigates the cause.

Plaintiff Attorneys Empowering Air Crash Victims

Andres’ mission is direct: to secure maximum compensation for the people he represents, to hold the mighty accountable when aviation safety fails, and to empower crash survivors and grieving families whose voices deserve to be heard against the airlines and manufacturers responsible.

That accountability does more than compensate the injured. Every verdict and settlement a plaintiff attorney wins forces airlines, manufacturers, and regulators to confront the true cost of cutting corners, driving safety improvements that protect every future passenger. Disasters like airplane crashes are rarely accidents at all; they are the end point of decisions that valued schedules and profits over safety.

Andres deeply understands that families affected by an aviation disaster need more than a lawyer, they need answers. In an arena dominated by technical jargon, federal investigators, and corporate defense teams, he is dedicated to making sure every client understands exactly what happened to their aircraft, what the law allows them to pursue, and where their case stands at every stage of the journey.

An Instrument-Rated Complex Fixed-Wing and Instrument-Rated Helicopter Pilot

Andres does not study aviation from the outside. He holds instrument ratings in both complex fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, meaning he is qualified to fly in the same conditions, on the same instruments, and under the same federal regulations as the pilots whose decisions come into question after a crash. When he reads a flight data recorder readout, reviews weather reports, or questions a pilot about a cockpit decision, he is doing it with the knowledge of someone who has made those decisions in the air himself.

The benefits of that experience are a win-win. It lets him identify quickly when an airline or manufacturer is blaming pilot error, because he knows what a crew actually faces in a degrading situation and when that explanation does not hold up. And it earns him credibility in the courtroom: juries, opposing experts, and regulators all recognize the difference between a lawyer who has memorized aviation terminology and one who speaks it as a second language.

That same depth of knowledge has made Andres a sought-after voice on aviation safety issues, from FAA regulations and Warsaw Convention, Montreal Protocol, and IATA questions to Forum Non Conveniens in international air crash cases, R-22 and R-44 helicopter systems, Piper, Beech, and Cessna aircraft systems, Boeing 737 PCU rudder actuator defects, and the Airbus A300-600 flight manual and rudder control.

Andres is a featured commentator on CNN, local news channels, and continuing legal education programs, translating complex aviation issues into practical advice for industry professionals and the general public alike. Pereira is often sought after to provide expert commentary on trends, emerging issues, or news events, including:

• FAA Regulations
• Warsaw Convention/Montreal Protocol/IATA Issues
• Forum Non Conveniens and International Aviation Accidents
• Aviation Safety Regulations
• R-22 and R-44 Helicopter Systems
• Piper/Beach/Cessna Aircraft Systems
• Boeing 737 PCU Rudder Actuator Defects
• Airbus A300-600 Flight Manual and Rudder Control

Whether he is speaking to a national audience or sitting across from a grieving family, the philosophy is the same: the power lies in each client’s story, and every client’s voice deserves to be heard.

Key Areas of Practice

• Aviation Accident Litigation
• Commercial Aviation Crashes
• International Aviation Crashes
• Small Aircraft & General Aviation
• Aviation Safety Regulations
• Montreal Convention Passenger Injury Claims

Bar Admissions

• Texas (1995)
• Florida (1996)

Federal Court Admissions

• U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, Western, and Northern Districts of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fifth, and Eleventh Circuits

MDL Experience

• In re: Prudential-Bache Energy Income Partnerships Securities Litigation, MDL 888
• In re: Diet Drugs, MDL 1203
• In re: Tobacco/Governmental Health Care Costs Litigation, MDL 1279
• In re: Sulzer Orthopedics Inc. Hip Prosthesis and Knee Prosthesis Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1401
• In re: Enron Corp. Securities, Derivative, and “ERISA” Litigation, MDL 1446
• In re: American Airlines Flight 587 Crash, Belle Harbor (Queens), New York, MDL 1448
• In re: Prempro Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1507
• In re: Aredia and Zometa Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1760
• In re: Fosamax Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1789
• In re: Yasmin and Yaz, MDL 2100

Notable Appellate Work

• Lead counsel for the plaintiff in Southwestern Refining Co. v. Bernal, 22 S.W.3d 425 (Tex. 2000), argued before the Texas Supreme Court; the decision redefined Texas class action procedure

Written on behalf of Andres Pereira, and reviewed by Watts Law Firm LLP