When you think of aviation accidents, you mostly snap to fatal airplane crashes. However, aviation disaster cases are not limited to a crashed plane. There are many other injuries that occur before, during, and after take-off or landing, and airline companies should be held responsible throughout the trip and be sure to protect all customers and flyers. Air travel can be risky, and you should be compensated in the event of any damages. Common airlines like Virgin, American, Delta, United, Alaska, Jet Blue, and more have been targeted for many cases where they did not adequately protect their customers. Victims of aviation accidents should know that there is legal help available – you may be able to join an airplane crash class action lawsuit or simply sue for injuries sustained on a plane. At Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles, we strive to bring you the maximum compensation available under the law and will not stop until we are satisfied with the offer. Call us to speak with an experienced lawyer for airplane injury lawsuits today.
Types of Aviation Accidents
There are many ways that you can be hurt while flying. Aviation liability is usually assigned to the airline, but it can also be assigned to the manufacturer of the plane or even the airport. Some planes have defects, and companies like Boeing, Airbus, Cessna, Piaggio, and Pilatus can be held responsible if they provide faulty or defective planes to be used for flights.
Some of the most common aviation accidents include:
- Crashed Plane: A plane crash can happen with a commercial airliner carrying dozens of passengers or it can occur on a small private plane that carries fewer than 8 individuals. A plane may crash because of a defect with the engine, a design flaw, a pilot’s wrong judgment, another plane getting in the way or coming too close while in the air, environmental factors, and more.
- Falling Luggage: There may be luggage that is not properly secured inside the plane. Suitcases are heavy, and a falling suitcase can cause intense injuries.
- Sliding Beverage Carts: Stewardesses generally push beverage and food carts up and down the aisles while serving nourishment. These carts are not light, and if there is a sudden jerk in the plane, they could go cascading down the aisle, causing injuries. They may also snag your hang between the seat or arm rest and the metal, causing fractures and other injuries.
- Burns from Hot Liquids: Hot coffee is generally served on airplanes, but the unstable nature of air travel means you could easily have the coffee spill on you. Hot liquids can cause second-degree burns or worse, which may take some time to heal.
- Cuts from Exposed Metal: Airplanes are supposed to be completely safe for customers, but there are sections that have undergone wear and tear and may be partially broken. Screws, metal flaps, seat parts, and latches can all be jagged and sharp, which may cause cuts and lacerations.
- Negligence to Act in Medical Emergencies: There may be passengers on planes who require some kid of medical attention, which may require the plane to be emergency landed or for there to be medical treatment administered on board. If the victims are left without any treatment, serious damages could occur.
- Slip and Fall: It is not uncommon to trip and fall on an airplane; the carpets may be raised or there may be debris or other items in the aisle that prevent you from safely walking. If an airline’s staff does not keep the plane safe, you could sue for injuries from the fall.
- Turbulence Accidents: Turbulence can be an underlying factor in many accidents; the sudden shaking and jerking of the plane can make you fall, dislodge luggage, spill liquids, and more. Although turbulence is a common occurrence, pilots should still try to safely maneuver through it with little or no damage to the customers on board the planes.
In addition to plane accidents, you could also be injured on helicopters. Similar accidents can happen, especially crashes, and you should be prepared to sue with the help of one of our helicopter accident attorneys in Los Angeles. Many individuals do not contact helicopter crash lawyers and instead choose attorneys with little to no experience in the area.
If you have been hurt while flying, you should contact an airplane accident lawyer for more assistance.
Injuries from Aviation Accidents
Some aviation accidents are more serious than others. In the worst cases, plane crashes can take the lives of everyone on board. Plane crash victims and their families should be entitled to the utmost compensation, and a wrongful death lawyer for airplane accidents can secure you fair coverage.
Other injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Internal organ damage
- Burns
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injury or spinal cord damage
- Closed head injuries
- Severed limbs and digits
- Paraplegia and quadriplegia
- Coma
- Death
- Aggravation of previously existing injuries
You should contact one of our attorneys with experience in plane ride crash cases for more assistance if you were hurt while flying.
Legal Information
Airlines have to give all customers the fairest treatment possible and strive to protect them at all costs. If there are any defects with the plane, hazards on board, or errors from the pilot or staff, the airline could be held liable for the ensuing damages. In order to sue, you must show that the airline was negligent, which can be done by proving these four points:
- The airline owed you a duty of care
- The duty of care was breached or violated
- The breach caused an accident of some kind
- The accident brought about physical injuries
It is important that you hire an airplane crash lawyer in Los Angeles, California, to help you prove these points. If even one is shown to be false, you won’t be eligible to file a personal injury claim. You must have suffered actual bodily harm to sue for certain damages.
You should also be aware of the time limit to file a claim. If you take too long to pursue a lawsuit, you will be barred from receiving any compensation. There is a 2-year limit on filing a personal injury claim, although that amount of time may be extended if you were underage at the time of the accident or if you were mentally or physically unable to take action. You may also have the time limit extended if the defendant left the state.
For more help, contact an airplane injury lawyer in Los Angeles.
Damages from a Plane Crash Lawsuit
A Los Angeles aviation plane accident attorney can help you receive the damages you deserve. We will strive to secure you the following:
- Medical bills and expenses, including hospitalization, surgery, medication, physical therapy, future medical treatments, and more
- Property damage for any personal items that were lost or broken in the incident
- Lost income from work because of missed days, as well as future lost wages because of additional medical treatment or recovery time
- Pain and suffering damages, which can cover PTSD, anxiety, fear, emotional trauma, and more
- Wrongful death damages, which can be handed out in the event of a death of a family member; these damages include pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering, loss of consortium, funeral and burial expenses, loss of expected savings and inheritance, and more
Our Los Angeles airplane crash wrongful death attorneys will make sure that your family is fairly compensated in the event of a crash. You should not hire merely any airplane wrongful death lawyer – let our experts help you.
Benefits of Normandie Law Firm
At Normandie Law Firm, we have years of experience handling aviation accident claims and know the best methods to securing your rightful restitution. Our qualified lawyers have been involved in such cases for decades and we do not give up until we are satisfied with the results of your case. We will keep you well-informed and we will negotiate the best deal from the insurance company. If we feel that the company is being resistant, we will aggressively work to bring your case to court and prove that you are owed a fair settlement.
Contact our firm today to set up a free legal consultation with one of our attorneys. All of our consultations are confidential; your private details won’t be shared elsewhere. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we will answer all of your questions for you. We will also tell you how much we believe your case is worth.
If you choose us to represent you, we will give you our zero fee guarantee, which states that you will not touch your own personal savings for our legal services. We will only get paid if we win your case, and the airline’s insurance company will be responsible for your legal bills. If we lose, you owe us nothing whatsoever, and you can walk away debt-free to our firm while we eat the losses we spent.
To speak with an aviation accident lawyer in Los Angeles, reach out to Normandie Law Firm today.
