Lawsuits Pending As Flight 3407 Crash Anniversary Nears

BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Days before the second anniversary of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo, lawyers for victims' families were in court to discuss the dozens of lawsuits still pending against the flight's operators.

U.S. District Judge William Skretny said Wednesday that 43 suits have been filed in federal court in Buffalo and of those, about 10 have been settled.

Cases that don't settle are expected to go to trial in March 2012.

Federal safety investigators say pilot error led the plane to stall and crash onto a home on Feb. 12, 2009, killing all 49 people on board and the home's owner.

The lawsuits name Continental Airlines and Colgan Air, the regional carrier contracted to operate the Newark-to-Buffalo flight. Also,

Colgan parent Pinnacle Airlines and the plane's maker, Bombardier Inc.

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