Unfortunately, sexual assault continues to be a major problem in our society. Sexual assault is possible virtually anywhere – someone with bad intentions can attack at any moment. In fact, sexual assault can even occur while on airplanes. Although it is more common to hear about passengers suffering sexual assault, crewmembers – specifically, flight attendants – are frequently the victims of sexual assault on board planes.
According to a survey conducted by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), approximately 70% of all U.S. flight attendants have suffered some sort of sexual harassment (including sexual assault) while working on planes. Unfortunately, only approximately 7% of flight attendants actually reported the incident to their employers.
Are you a flight attendant that experienced sexual assault? Whether you are a steward or a stewardess, it is likely that you have experienced sexual misconduct at some point during a flight. Based on the details surrounding the incident, you might have grounds to pursue a sexual assault claim. If you are interested in learning more about your right to sue, you should seek legal assistance as soon as possible.
You can trust the experts at Normandie Law Firm to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. At Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers have many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including sexual assault. Our experienced lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to sue and fight for your right to recover monetary compensation for the harm that you suffered.
Statistics on Sexual Harassment on Airplanes
As mentioned above, only 7% of flight attendants that experienced harassment (including verbal and physical harassment) reported the incident. Of the people who experienced verbal sexual harassment, the majority of flight attendants went on to report three or more instances within a one-year period; approximately 33% of affected flight attendants reported five or more instances within the same year. Similarly, of the people who experienced physical harassment, 40% reported three or more instances within the one-year period. Although the occurrence of verbal harassment on board airplanes is higher, physical sexual assault is not out of the question.
Based on statistics from the 2017 survey, approximately 35% of flight attendants stated that passengers made lewd, suggestive, and/or inappropriate comments to them while on the plane. Additionally, approximately 18% experienced unwanted physical contact both under and on top of their uniforms.
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Airplane Sexual Assault is a Federal Crime
Crimes that occur onboard airplanes fall under the jurisdiction of the FBI. More specifically, sexual assault on board aircrafts is considered a felony. Any sexual incident that occurs in a plane should be taken seriously. Whether the victim suffers grazing, groping, or any type of sexual misconduct, authorities must be alerted immediately to ensure that the situation is dealt with as soon as the plane makes a landing. What does this mean for victims? Without a doubt, victims could pursue criminal charges against their attackers. However, victims might also have grounds to pursue a civil claim against the attacker.
Can I Sue?
Based on the details surrounding your specific situation, you might have grounds to pursue civil action after your sexual assault. As mentioned above, you could pursue criminal charges against the attacker; however, you could also pursue a civil lawsuit against the attacker. More specifically, you could sue the attacker based on the fact that he or she acted negligently, maliciously, and intentionally against you.
Additionally, you might have grounds to pursue a civil claim against your employer. You could pursue a claim for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to some of the following: the failure to properly train employees on handling incidents; the failure to take action after the incident (specifically, to report the incident to the authorities); the failure to acknowledge the incident. Although your employer might have not directly harmed you, their actions (or lack of actions) could have contributed to or worsened the incident.
What if I am a passenger that was sexually assaulted by a stewardess? If a stewardess sexually assaulted you, you might also have grounds to sue. You could likely sue the airline for your sexual assault.
Overall, you must be aware of the concept of negligence. Negligence consists of four elements – a duty of care, a breach of duty, cause, and harm. That is, a party or entity owes you a duty of care; the party or entity breaches the duty of care (with a specific action or inaction) that contributes to an incident, which results in harm. In other words, if a breach of duty directly leads to harm, the victim could pursue a claim.
Are you interested in learning more about your right to sue? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.
You Could Sue and Recover Compensation
Are you eligible to recover compensation for the sexual assault that you experienced as a flight attendant? Based on the facts surrounding your claim, you could be awarded compensation. More specifically, you could be awarded compensation for some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
Would you like to learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive if your claim reaches a successful outcome? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the airplane sexual assault lawyers at our firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers are ready to aggressively fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim. Whether our lawyers have to negotiate a settlement or take your claim to trial to reach a verdict, you can trust that our sexual assault lawyers will not rest until you have recovered the compensation that you are owed. Although compensation will not reverse the trauma that you have experienced, it can help you move forward.
To learn more about the compensation that you could be eligible to receive if your stewardess sexual assault claim is successful, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.
What Should You Do?
If you are a flight attendant that was sexually assaulted on a plane, there are many things that you should do to. You should do the following:
- Take photos of any physical injuries caused by the incident (including bruises and scratches, for example)
- Report the assault to the airline as soon as possible (provide them with information that they can use to identify the attacker)
- Request that the authorities are contacted to formally report the incident
- Speak to the authorities and make the report
- Request copies of all incident reports
- Seek medica care immediately
- Gather all details related to the flight
- Speak to witnesses and gather their contact information for later reference
- Gather all relevant medical records associated with the harm that you suffered
- Seek the legal representation of a sexual assault attorney as soon as possible
Would you like to learn more about the specific actions that you should take after being harmed in an airplane sexual assault incident? If so, do not hestiate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible.
The Statute of Limitations
Although you have the right to sue, your claim is subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the specific length of time that claimants have to pursue their claims. If claimants do not pursue their claims within the appropriate length of time, they could lose their right to sue altogether. How long do you have to sue? The statute of limitations that applies to your claim is based on the state laws that apply. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the statute of limitations that applies to your claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible.
Contact Our Firm Immediately
At Normandie, our stewardess sexual assault lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. Whether you are pursuing a claim against your attacker or the airline, you can trust that our attorneys will not rest until your claim reaches a successful claim outcome. If you are interested in discussing your claim with our lawyers, contact our firm today.
At Normandie Law Firm, we are dedicated to remaining accessible to all affected individuals; therefore, we offer free legal services. More specifically, our firm offers free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions as well as address all your concerns. Our sexual assault attorneys will be available to provide you with all the information that you need to reach a positive claim outcome. Are you interested in benefiting from our free legal services? If so, contact our firm today.
As explained above, our firm offers free legal services. Our free legal services are available as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients will not be required to pay upfront legal fees for our legal expenses. In addition, our firm offers a strict contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until after reaching a positive claim outcome. What if you do not win? If you do not win, you will not be required to pay anything for our legal services.
If you are interested in speaking with our lawyers, contact our firm today.
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