Liability And Damages In Aviation Accidents

People who have been injured in an aviation accident can file a personal injury lawsuit against a variety of potentially responsible parties including the pilot, airport operator, air traffic controllers, maintenance crews, and the airplane manufacturer or designer. Such lawsuits will typically involve claims of negligence, but a products liability claim may also be available in some circumstances.

The damages that can be recovered in such lawsuits will depend on the facts of each case but will generally include past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and potentially punitive damages. When a loved one dies in an aviation accident, surviving family members can file a wrongful death action against the responsible parties seeking compensation for their loss.

Like all personal injury, products liability and accident cases, aviation lawsuits are subject to various statutes of limitation. These laws limit the amount of time you have to file a claim, and the deadlines they impose must be strictly complied with. If a lawsuit is filed after the deadline has expired, the claim will be forever barred and recovery will not be allowed. It is critical that anyone involved in an aviation accident immediately seek the advice of an attorney with experience handling aviation lawsuits.

As is the case in most industries, the manufacturers of airplanes and other aircraft are often very slow to admit that design or manufacturing defects could have caused or contributed to an aviation accident. They know that it will be extremely costly to their bottom line and could lead to expensive personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Therefore, they typically claim that operator error, rather than negligently designed or manufactured products, caused the accident. This same reckless attitude and disregard for public safety is also well documented in the automotive industry. Unfortunately, the executives of these big corporations and their insurance companies will do everything they can to protect their profits and will never willingly admit responsibility or recall a defective product, even after people have died.

Attorneys like Steven J. Brady are the public’s best defense against this type of corporate greed. As an experienced trial lawyer and recognized expert in aviation law, Mr. Brady is uniquely suited to meet the challenges presented by aviation accident and injury cases.