Seeking Compensation for Aviation Injuries
When most of us think about injuries on airlines, we imagine horrific plane crashes that make national news. While fatal and life-threatening plane crashes are certainly a reason to discuss filing a claim with an aviation injury attorney in Shreveport, many other types of airline injuries do not make national news. Indeed, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the majority of in-flight and onboard incidents that result in injuries do not lead to fatalities. Rather, most incidents on airplanes result in minor to serious injuries.
It is essential for anyone who has sustained a nonfatal injury on an airplane to know that they may be able to file a compensation claim, as well. Our experienced Shreveport airline injury lawyers can tell you more.
Learning More About Airplane Injuries
When it comes to the total number of incidents or “accidents” onboard airplanes, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, only a very small number result in fatalities. More than half of all incidents onboard airplanes do result in “seriously injured persons.” What causes most injuries in airplane incidents? The following are among the most common reasons that people get hurt:
- Plane crashes (typically due to human error, but may be due to mechanical error or defects);
- Burns due to hot liquids from tea or coffee onboard;
- Struck-by injuries due to luggage falling from overhead bins;
- Struck-by injuries due to flying objects during severe turbulence;
- Falls due to severe turbulence;
- Injuries from food and drink carts; and
- Assaults perpetrated by other persons onboard the airplane.
Who Caused the Injury?
To determine liability, you should work with an aviation injury lawyer to determine first who caused the injury. Causation will play an important role in determining liability. Parties whose actions (or inactions) may have caused plane crashes and in-flight incidents include but are not limited to:
- Pilots;
- Flight attendants;
- Plane mechanics;
- Designer or manufacturers of airplanes or their parts;
- Passengers; and
- Air traffic controllers.
Liability — and who you can sue — will depend upon the cause of or reason for the injury. Employers such as airlines that employ pilots may be liable, but there also may be instances in which an employee is individually liable, as well.
Seeking Compensation for Your Airline Injury
Airline injury claims can be extremely complicated. Most will involve federal laws or regulations, and it is important to have an attorney on your side who has handled cases similar to yours in the past and can help you to file a claim before the “clock” runs out.
Contact Our Shreveport Aviation Injury Attorneys Today
Sustaining an injury on an airplane can be debilitating, whether your injury occurred as a result of turbulence or a plane crash. And if you lost a loved one in a fatal plane crash, we know that the experience is devastating. While it might seem difficult to consider the possibility of a lawsuit, it is critical to hold the airline accountable. An experienced Shreveport aviation injury lawyer at Rice & Kendig, LLC can begin working with you today on your case. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Sources:
bts.gov/content/us-air-carrier-safety-data
iata.org/en/pressroom/2023-releases/2023-03-07-01/#:~:text=The%20all%20accident%20rate%20was,five%20years%2C%202018%2D2022
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27941573/
