In many forms of mass transportation, passengers relinquish control of their safety to the driver, operator, or controller of a vehicle, trusting in that individual and that company to protect their best interests at all times. And in most cases, that is exactly what happens with thousands of travelers everyday who arrive at their jobs, homes, or vacation destinations safely.
One of the best examples of transportation where a passenger has little to no control is when a person chooses to fly on an airplane, whether it is a commercial flight, a charter plane, or a private jet. A passenger on an airplane remains passive in the plane’s movement during the duration of the flight, leaving the passenger’s safety to those pilots in charge. But safety does not end with the pilots and rather extends to the air traffic controllers on the ground, the mechanics who repair and maintain the planes, the corporation who owns and operates the planes, and the employees who assemble and design the planes initially.
With so many people involved in the flying of a plane, it can be difficult to determine who is at fault when an incident with the plane occurs. In some cases, it may be pilot error that leads to a collision or a crash while in others, the weather could be a prominent factor that was overlooked or ignored by those in charge of the plane’s travel. Still in other instances, a poorly designed plane, engine, or even a component of the landing gear can make the difference between a safe, uneventful flight and a disaster.
When a plane crashes or otherwise is involved in an incident that puts passenger safety at risk, the result can be extreme and devastating because of the large number of people that are on board the plane. When compared to other modes of transportation, planes can have a similar number of passengers or a number several times as large depending on the flight involved. For example, when a commercial plane crashes, hundreds of people may lose their lives or suffer injuries, a number much larger than would be involved if two cars collided on a local road.
A plane does not have to crash or strike another object for passengers to be at risk of injuries. There have been numerous instances where an in-flight malfunction or error led to passengers becoming injured including where there was a loss of air pressure within a cabin or where a plane flew in dangerous weather conditions, leading to extreme turbulence.
Regardless of how an airplane incident occurs, the blame does not lie with a passenger, but unfortunately the passengers are often these ones who suffer the physical toll. Whether they are injured or killed, the lives of those involved in a crash and their surviving family members will be forever altered by those events and a crash can never be undone.
These claims can be complicated and can involve both state and federal law making them difficult to understand and comprehend without the assistance of a legal advocate on your side. Additionally, claims for damages inflicted by an airplane incident must be brought within a specified period of time following the incident or the victim will lose the right to bring such a claim.
Aviation Lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C.
If you have been the victim of an air disaster, plane crash, or other aviation-related injury or if your family member has been killed in such an event, it is important to realize that the law provides you with certain rights that may include the right to financial compensation for your losses. You should make sure your rights are protected and enforced after a crash by consulting with an injury attorney who can help you understand your legal rights and your legal options.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we believe that accident victims deserve the best representation from a dedicated legal team and we make it our job to provide just that. We fight for our clients’ rights to receive compensation for the full extent of their damages and we seek justice against all responsible parties after a plane crash. Call us today and let us help you towards the path of recovery.
If you have been involved in a Plane Accident, call us today at (855) LAW-CHICAGO or Contact Us online for a free consultation.