Determining Liability in Airplane Accidents

Airplane AccidentsLiability in Airplane Accidents
Airplanes are now used by many people as one ofIn an airplane accident, it is somewhat difficult to
their modes of transportation. In fact, according to thedetermine who is responsible for an accident. The help
Federal Aviation Administration or FAA, air travel isof an experienced lawyer might even be a necessity.
expected to double over the next 20 years.The parties that may be held legally responsible in an
airplane accident vary. This depends on the cause of
Aviation Accident Lawthe accident.
Aviation accident law deals with major air carrier andThe parties that can be held liable in airplane accidents
general aviation accidents.include the following:
General Aviation• Owner of the aircraft
General aviation includes non-commercial aircrafts• Operator of the aircraft
such as the following:• Maintenance suppliers or manufacturers of the
• Helicoptersaircraft
• Hang gliders• Federal government
• Charter flightsLiability of Operator or Owner - Vicarious Liability
• Small planesOperators and owners of an aircraft can be held
• Pleasure craftslegally responsible for the damages if carelessness or
• Large business jetsnegligence is proven.
Types of Airplane AccidentsLiability of Manufacturer - Strict Liability
Airplane accidents include incidents and crashes onStrict liability refers to the manufacturer's legal
planes, such as falling baggage, assaults, and otherresponsibility to the victims of an accident if proven
related incidents, which result in injuries and/or deaths.that their injuries were due to a defect in or a
Here is a list of the types of airplane accidents:component of the aircraft.
• Pilot negligenceComparative Fault
• Mechanical failureComparative fault is where the owner or operator and
• Collisions and crashesthe manufacturer of the aircraft are both held legally
• Accidents that occur during transport to and fromresponsible for the accident.
the aircrafts and on the runwayLiability of the Federal Government
• Accidents that are due to miscommunication andThe federal government may be held liable for an
air traffic control errorairplane accident if it involves a collision.
• Baggage falling onto people during shiftingLiability of Common Air Carriers
baggage at the runway or during flightCommon air carriers, including commercial airlines, are
Causes of Airplane Accidentsadministered by different and more defined standards
Airplane accidents are usually due to someone's fault.compared to private carriers. It is under the FAA's
Such accidents may result to the injury or even deathresponsibility so a comprehensive understanding of the
of passengers and crews of aircrafts. The followingFAA's rules is needed to bring a successful claim
are some of the causes of these airplane accidents:against a common air carrier.
• Design or structural problemsAn airplane accident is an extremely dreadful
• Pilot errorexperience and filing a claim is surely a difficult and
• Faulty equipmentcomplex process for anyone, especially for an injured
• Violations on the rules and regulations of thevictim. In this case, it is crucial for a victim to seek help
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)from a professional attorney to get all the legal
• Negligence of the employees of the Flight Serviceassistance he would need.
StationTo help you with issues involving airplane accidents,
• Negligence in a third party's selection of a carrierconsult with our experienced lawyers. Log on to our
• Negligence of the Air Traffic Controllerswebsite and avail of our free case analysis.