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Did you get hurt or lose a loved one in a plane accident? Our plane accident attorneys at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., are here to help. We’ll work with the authorities to uncover what happened and who was at fault. When we know more, we can guide you in demanding fair compensation for your injuries. Depending on the circumstances, we might recommend filing a lawsuit against one or more people or businesses, such as the pilot and airline or plane owner. Winning you fair compensation will be our top priority.
To learn more about how we handle plane accidents in Illinois, contact us through our online form or call (312) 236-2900. We offer free, no-risk consultations.
There are commercial flights, and then there are private and personal planes. Commercial flights carry a large number of passengers, and overall, are safe. Though large commercial airlines have had significant and fatal accidents, they aren’t common. But commercial air carriers are responsible for many other types of accidents, including passengers injured onboard a plane or while boarding or disembarking. For example, a passenger could slip and fall on a ramp, or one passenger could assault another during a flight.
Smaller airplanes, though, that are either privately owned or chartered, are in many more accidents, including deadly crashes. These are known as general aviation accidents.
Commercial, chartered, and private planes can experience:
Airplane accidents happen for a variety of reasons, including:
Most plane crashes are investigated by federal authorities, but not by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA regulates most aspects of air travel in the U.S., including pilot training, air traffic control, and plane maintenance. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates all major aviation accidents. We carefully review the NTSB report. Its findings might be crucial to your legal claim.
After being hurt or losing a loved one in a plane accident, you need to figure out who was at fault and who is liable for compensating you. That may or may not be the same party.
Potentially liable parties include:
A pilot might be found at fault and liable for an airplane accident. But, in some cases, a pilot’s fault will not mean the pilot owes you and others compensation. If the pilot is employed by a company, like a major airline, then we’ll pursue compensation from that airline. Employers are liable for the negligent conduct of their on-duty employees, which is a legal doctrine known as respondeat superior.
The owner of the plane might be liable, whether it was a small, private plane or a commercial airline. The owner might be liable for your injuries because they negligently entrusted their plane to a pilot that they knew wouldn’t fly the aircraft safely. This could be because the pilot wasn’t adequately trained or licensed, had a history of accidents or complaints, or was intoxicated. An investigation might uncover the owner of the plane rented it to someone without checking their qualifications.
A negligent air traffic controller could be at-fault for the crash. Air traffic controllers are federal employees. Your claim would be against an arm of the federal government, which means it’s governed by the Federal Torts Claim Act. Your case will move forward differently than if it were against a private party.
If we discover a defect caused the plane accident, then a manufacturer, supplier, or retailer might be liable. The businesses that were part of the supply chain in designing, making, and selling the airplane might be liable under strict liability. This legal doctrine means a business can be held responsible for injuries its product causes, even if they weren’t negligent.
Once the plane is built, purchased, and used, another company might conduct inspections, make repairs, and provide routine maintenance. This could be the airline carrier, but it also could be a third party hired by the airline. If it negligently inspected, maintained, or repaired the plane, and the remaining defect caused an accident, this business might be liable.
Several international treaties limit the damages airlines conducting international flights are responsible for. Under the Warsaw Convention, airlines are responsible for damages that arise when someone boards or exist the plane. But monetary limits on their liability exist unless you can prove the carrier is responsible for willful misconduct. Under the Montreal Agreement, airlines damages for intentional flight accidents are limited, as well. This applies to international flights that stopped in or had a point of departure in the U.S. If you were injured or lost a loved one on a domestic flight, which took off and landed in the U.S., then different laws apply to your case. Your lawyer will analyze which state or federal law applies to your case and whether an international treaty is relevant.
After being hurt or losing a relative in a plane accident, talk with Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. We are experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorneys. We’ll determine who is liable for your injuries and pursue compensation through litigation and settlement negotiations.
To schedule your free consultation, call us at (312) 236-2900, or send us your information through our online form.
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