SND
I'm sure that not only are the hours important (you mention minimum 2500 hours for your insurance) but also how relevant are those hours? for example 2500 hours underslung or instructing may not be that relevant for an IFR operation! 2500 hours on say AS350 would be much more relevant than 2500 on R22, etc, etc.
This is why I previously asked, what was the previous experience of the Capt? No one on here seems to know.
If he had 2000 hours on IFR helis as a FO then that is quite different to if he had say 600 hours IFR heli time and the rest on a R22? Offshore and Onshore time both have advantages. If for example, he had carried out 100 offshore departures at night or 100 military IFR towering take-offs then it is likely that the departure would have been uneventful.
Uneventful, but not sensible, as a reject before CDP would probably not end well if no visual reference - and you could not be sure of meeting Rule 5 (3) (a)
If the Capt lacked the experience levels that one would normally have to be commanding this aircraft in this weather, perhaps the Operator may have some responsibility and duty of care and may well be considered negligent. There could be a case for the pilots families v the Operator.
So I think it is important to know the previous experience, single engine charter/ corporate, any military time, offshore, IFR heli time (not IFR time but time on an IFR heli so that there is sufficient experience to make decisions re IFR weather)
It seems that there is a fair amount of evidence that this Operator lacked a good safety culture.