Can I Recover For In-Flight Injuries?

When people think of the risk of injury while flying, they most often think about deadly airplane crashes. Airline crashes are relatively rare, however as only 716 people died¹ worldwide in 2014 from airplane crashes, while 32,719 people died² in motor vehicle crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These statistics puts in perspective that flying may, in fact, be the safest form of transportation as far as fatalities are concerned. However, this does not mean that airline passengers do not suffer injuries, as an estimated 4,500 people suffer injuries during flight travel on an annual basis. If an injury is caused by another party's negligence, victims have the legal right to recover for their losses from the responsible party.

Parties that may be responsible for flight travel injuries

There are many different parties that may act negligently and may be held liable for resulting injuries. Such parties may include:

·        Flight attendants – Flight attendants have many different responsibilities meant to keep passengers safe while they are in-flight. For example, they must adequately secure all overhead compartments in order to ensure that a compartment does no open mid-flight and cause luggage to fall onto the heads of passengers. Additionally, they must keep aisles clear to avoid trip and fall accidents, and must assist passengers as much as possible in the event of an emergency.

·        Pilots – While pilots cannot control turbulence or other weather conditions that may make for a bumpy plane ride, they should always be paying attention to upcoming conditions to properly warn passengers to remain seated and of possible hazards. If a pilot is distracted and fails to notify passengers of the need to fasten their safety belts and a passenger suffers injury as a result, that pilot may be held liable. Additionally, working while impaired or fatigued can lead to negligence that can cause injuries, as well.

·        Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – The FAA³ employs air traffic controllers that have the huge responsibility of directing airplane traffic in order to avoid collisions. If an air traffic controller is distracted, fatigued, impaired, or otherwise fails to correctly do his job, he may be held liable for any injuries that result.

·        Airplane manufacturer – There are many different parts on a plane that have the potential to malfunction and cause injury. If a manufacturer negligently designed or assembled a defective airplane part, that company should be responsible for any losses related to the malfunction.

·        Airport – Like any other type of property, airports have the potential to have dangerous conditions or hazards and cause injuries. Premises liability and inadequate security claims are the most common in airports.

As you can see, many different parties may be responsible for your airport or in-flight injuries. These cases often require investigation and preparation, so you always want to ensure you have the assistance of an experienced Tampa area in-flight injury attorney.

Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in Clearwater, Florida for help today

If you have suffered injuries on a flight or in an airport and believe that an employee of the airline or another party acted negligently to cause your injury, call an experienced attorney as soon as possible. At the Dolman Law Group in Clearwater, Florida, a member of our highly skilled legal team will listen to your side of the story and evaluate whether you have a valid legal claim against any party for your in-flight injuries. We know how to handle personal injury claims against large corporations, such as airports and airlines, and we will work to make sure you receive the full settlement amount that you deserve for your injuries. Call us today at 727-451-6900 for a free consultation.

Dolman Law Group
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/injured-tampa-area-aviation-accident/

References:

¹http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/07/travel/aviation-data/

²http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812101.pdf

³http://www.faa.gov/