Blink-182 Drummer Sues Goodyear

News sources including the New Musical Express are reporting that Travis Barker and his deceased friend/bodyguard’s mother have sued Goodyear, who owned the Learjet plane that crashed back in September, along with jet charter companies Clay Lacy Aviation, Global Exec Aviation and Inter Travel Services, and aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Inc. Goodyear spokesman Ed Markey describes the decision to sue, which comes before the conclusion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, as “unfortunate.”

The lawsuit claims that the crash – which killed four including Charles “Che” Monroe Still Jr. and injured Barker and fellow performer DJ AM – was caused by negligence on the part of the pilots and product defect in the case of Bombardier and Goodyear. According to news sources, Barker is suing variously for pain, psychological distress, suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement and “pre-impact fear of death and burning.”

Goodyear representative Markey stated that, “While the tyres may have been involved, it is too early to speculate on a cause. The performance of the tyre is dependent on how the tyre was used, if it was properly maintained and whether it was damaged before the accident.”

It was reported on Friday that aviation authorities said that cockpit recordings suggest that the plane experienced a tyre blowout during takeoff. The NTSB said that pieces of tyre were found approximately 2,800 ft from where the plane started its takeoff procedure.

Meanwhile, the NME reports that Barker is back behind the drums. He stated in an MTV interview that he can “still make it around the kit.”

“Everything felt right, so I’m thankful to be able to play,” Barker said. Fellow Blink-182 alumnus Mark Hoppus restated the importance of the instrument to Barker. “He can’t not drum, you know? The man was born to sit behind a drumkit and do his thing,” Hoppus told the NME.