Arthur Alan Wolk

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Arthur Alan Wolk, Aviation Attorney, Philadelphia, PAArthur Alan Wolk (born October 25, 1943) is an attorney, author and the founding partner of The Wolk Law Firm in Philadelphia, PA, which specializes in aviation law and air crash litigation for plantiffs.

Wolk is also an author,[1] editor and lecturer on aviation law and air safety with articles published by The Aviation Consumer, Aviation Safety and other publications and has appeared on ABC Evening News,[2] CBS Evening News,[3] CNBC,[4] and CNN Larry King Live.[5]. He is a frequent lecturer on aviation law presenting to the National Air Transportation Association, the Practicing Law Institute, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Southern Methodist University Aviation Law Symposium, Temple University School of Law, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Aviation Section of the American Bar Association.[6]

Arthur is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania.[7] He received his B.S. degree, cum laude, from Temple University in 1965[8], and his J.D. degree from Temple University School of Law in 1968.[9]

Notable cases

Arthur Wolk has represented victims in several major airline disasters [10] and offers expert comments on the cause of these crashes on National TV. Some of the most notable air crash cases Arthur has had involvement in include:

USAir 427, Aliquippa, PA., Pittsburgh, B-737. The flight crashed on September 8, 1994, killing everyone on board. Arthur Wolk predicted the cause of the crash was rudder failure and appears the next day on ABC Evening News for Friday September 9, 1994 Peter Jennings reporter,[2] in this program Wolk offers views on the cause of the crash. Wolk published his opinion that rudder failure was the likely cause of USAir 427 crash in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, October 10, 1994. On October 25 he appears on CBS Evening News with Reporter Dan Rather October 25, 1994, and offers comments about possible rudder failure.[3] After the longest investigation in aviation history, more than four and a half years later, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded the probable cause was rudder failure.[11] Wolk was the plantiffs attorney in Hamley vs. The Boeing Corporation, the manufacturer of USAir's B-737 and won the case establishing that it was the rudder actuator that failed.[12]

Other notable cases Wolk was involved in include: Comair 3272, Monroe, MI, (Detroit), EMB-120;[13] Swissair 111, Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, MD-11;[14] EgyptAir 990, near Nantucket, MA, Boeing 767;[15] and Alaska Air 261, Port Mugu, CA, MD-83.[16]

Personal aviation experience

Arthur has been a pilot for more than 30 years and holds an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATP) certificate for multi-engine land and sea aircraft.[17] Wolk owned a Grumman F9F Panther jet fighter[18] that he has flown in air shows[19] throughout the country; performing low level aerobatics and formation flights.[6]

Awards and recognition

The Temple University Beasley School of Law honored Arthur as its 2005 Founder's Day award recipient. He was selected for special recognition for his achievements as a lawyer and for bringing honor and recognition to the law school. Arthur is appointed to the school's faculty as Adjunct Professor of Law teaching the first course in Aviation Law.[20]

Sources

  1. Writing for Dollars: 75 Tips for the ... - Google Books
  2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / USAir Flight 427 Crash - Sep 09, 1994 - ABC - Vanderbilt Television News Archive
  3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / USAir Flight 427 Crash - Oct 25, 1994 - CBS - Vanderbilt Television News Archive
  4. Arthur Alan Wolk - CNBC Pilots Sleeping - Redlasso.com
  5. CNN.com - Transcripts
  6. Arthur Alan Wolk - Aviation Accident Attorney
  7. Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  8. Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA), Class of 1965, Page 380
  9. Arthur Alan Wolk Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com
  10. The Wolk Law Firm - Aircraft Disaster Verdicts and Settlements
  11. http://www.ntsb.gov/events/usair427/items.htm NTSB Accident Investigation Docket
  12. http://www.airlaw.com/verdicts.htm Arthur Wolk Verdicts
  13. Findacase™ | In Re Aircrash Disaster Near Monroe
  14. WashingtonPost.com: Swissair Flight 111 Report
  15. Families Sue Airline in 1999 Crash That Killed More Than 200 - Los Angeles Times
  16. Pilot error contributed to crash, lawsuit says
  17. FAA Civil Aviation Registry - Airmen Inquiry
  18. warbirdregistry.org - A Warbirds Resource Group Site - F9F Panther/Cougar Registry
  19. Fighter-plane Airshow Opens Today At Willow Grove Station - Morning Call
  20. Bar Repoter June 05