Close X

Mather Airport Accident Attorney

Contact Here.

Attorney Michael Rehm - (916) 233-7346

Mather Airport (KMHR), located in Rancho Cordova approximately 12 miles east of downtown Sacramento, is a joint-use civilian and military facility. The airport houses the 940th Air Refueling Wing (Air Force Reserve) and supports cargo, charter, and general aviation operations. Mather is also the site of documented PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination from decades of AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) use on the former Air Force base, affecting groundwater in surrounding communities. Attorney Michael Rehm represents people injured in aviation accidents at Mather Airport and people harmed by PFAS contamination originating from the Mather site.

Cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. The Sacramento regional overview is on the Sacramento aviation accident attorney page.

Aviation Accident Claims at KMHR

Mather Airport operates under Class D airspace with an operating control tower. General aviation operations, cargo flights, and military training sorties share the field. Accident causes at Mather mirror those at other active airports: runway incursions, loss of control on approach or departure, ground equipment incidents, and maintenance failures. The governing legal framework is the same as at other California airports: negligence under Civil Code section 1714, negligence per se under Evidence Code section 669 for regulatory violations, and owner liability under Public Utilities Code section 21404.

PFAS Contamination at Mather

The U.S. Air Force used AFFF containing PFAS compounds for fire suppression training at Mather Air Force Base from the 1970s until its closure in 1993. PFAS contamination has been detected in groundwater at and around the former base. The EPA has listed Mather as a site of ongoing PFAS investigation. PFAS compounds — including PFOA and PFOS — are associated with increased risk of kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, and other serious conditions. Current PFAS contamination levels and the precise boundaries of affected groundwater should be verified against current EPA site fact sheets before any specific claim is advanced.

PFAS Liability Framework

PFAS contamination claims at Mather can proceed against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act (28 U.S.C. §§ 2671–2680) for government negligence in the use and disposal of AFFF, and against AFFF manufacturers under product liability doctrine for designing and selling a product with known toxic properties. The discretionary function exception to the FTCA may be raised by the government as a defense — whether it applies depends on whether the specific conduct at issue involved policy-level discretion or operational execution.

Government Claims and Statutes of Limitations

FTCA claims require an administrative claim filed with the appropriate federal agency within two years of the claim accruing. For latent PFAS diseases, the claim accrues when the plaintiff knew or should have known of the injury and its connection to PFAS exposure — not necessarily at first exposure. California personal injury claims against non-federal parties are subject to the two-year statute of limitations under CCP section 335.1, subject to the same discovery rule tolling.

Related Pages

Attorney Michael Rehm represents Mather Airport accident and PFAS contamination victims throughout Sacramento County and California on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. Call (916) 233-7346 to arrange a free consultation.

The information on this page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts. The law can change — statutes are amended, cases are decided, and regulations are revised; nothing on this page should be relied upon as a statement of current law without verification. Deadlines and legal bars discussed on this page are general guides — whether a particular deadline applies, has run, or is subject to tolling, and whether a particular doctrine bars or limits recovery in your case, requires individual analysis. Contact Attorney Michael Rehm to discuss the specific facts of your situation.

Southern California Areas Served:

Phone: (619) 787-3456 Areas Served: San Diego, Vista, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, El Centro, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Glendale, Lancaster, Palmdale, Pomona, Torrance, Pasadena, El Monte, Downey, West Covina, Norwalk, Burbank, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Costa Mesa, Riverside, Corona, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Ventura, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Temecula, Bakersfield, Clovis, and everywhere in between.

Bay Area Areas Served

Phone: (831) 431-0986 Areas Served: Santa Cruz, Aptos, Capitola, Watsonville, Salinas, Monterey, Seaside, Carmel, San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, Livermore, Concord, Richmond, Walnut Creek, Antioch, San Rafael, Novato, San Jose, Morgan Hill, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Napa, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Fairfield, Vallejo, Vacaville, Dixon, Solano County, San Benito, Daly City, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Redwood City, Belmont, San Carlos, San Bruno, Pleasanton, Union City, San Leandro, Milpitas, Pittsburg, Danville, Rohnert Park and the entire Bay Area.

Northern California Office & Areas Served

2121 Broadway Unit 188860 Sacramento, CA 95818 Phone: (916) 233-7346 Areas Served: Sacramento, Elk Grove, Antelope, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, the friendly confines of Land Park, Folsom, Yolo, Woodland, West Sacramento, Davis, Placerville, South Lake Tahoe, Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Auburn, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Yuba City, Marysville, Wheatland, Colusa, San Joaquin County, Lodi, Manteca, Stockton, Tracy, Lathrop, Modesto, Turlock, Oakdale, Stanislaus County, Humboldt County, Arcata, Mckinleyville, Fortuna, Eureka, Butte County, Oroville, Paradise, Chico, Mendocino, Ukiah, Colusa, Shasta County, Redding, Calaveras, Yreka, Amador, Jackson, Lassen, Susanville, Plumas County, Quincy, Nevada County, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Truckee, Lakeport, Sonora, Madera, Crescent City, Trinity, and all of Northern California.

LawLytics