If you routinely fly on commercial airlines, it is important to know that the people running them have a duty to protect all passengers from harm. While airports must ensure your safety in the terminal and surrounding walkways, airlines oversee the passenger experience, including boarding, using the in-flight facilities, and interacting with airline personnel.
Most airline accidents result from a combination of human error, equipment failure, or inadequate maintenance. Airline personnel are trained to keep you from harm, and errors are often due to negligence. If your flight is marred by an injury caused by someone else’s carelessness, contact a Chicago airline injury lawyer. The experienced mass transit injury attorneys at Kaveny + Kroll can assess your case and partner with you to devise a personalized compensation plan.
When Is an Airline Responsible for an Accident?
An airline breaches its duty to ensure passengers’ safety when its representatives’ conduct falls below what a reasonable airline employee would do. In some cases, an airline parts manufacturer breaches its duty to provide airplane parts that function as intended, or the maintenance crew makes an error. If such a breach caused your injury, you can claim for the costs associated with medical care, lost income while recuperating, well-being as a pain-free person, or emotional impact.
Some common airline accidents include:
- A boarding bridge malfunction that causes a passenger to fall
- Luggage falling onto a passenger from an overhead bin that was not properly closed
- Slippery airplane aisles from spilled food or drink that was not cleaned up promptly
- Accidents on airline-operated shuttles or carts used to transport passengers
- Faulty engine repairs that cause a plane to make an emergency landing
The Federal Aviation Administration reports that falls account for many of the accidents during boarding and deplaning, often due to uneven or wet surfaces. Our Chicago attorneys will collaborate with you to win the compensation you deserve when an airline carrier is negligent and causes you harm.
A Closer Look at Falls From Boarding Accidents
Boarding accidents are generally falls prompted by time constraints, tight spaces, and the mandate to move along and board or disembark. The walkways used for boarding and disembarking can become dangerous due to unstable stairways, the use of faulty wheelchairs to transport disabled customers, chaos and crowding at the gate, or miscommunication between crew and gate agents.
If you were harmed because of an airline’s negligence, our knowledgeable Chicago legal team will take a personal approach to your injury case.
Liability and International Flights
Special rules for airline negligence apply to international flights under the Montreal Convention. Passengers injured during an international flight, including while boarding and disembarking, can recoup compensation even if the airline is not negligent; however, compensation is capped. If treating your injuries extends beyond the cap, the airline must prove its representatives were not negligent. This shifts the burden of proof away from injured passengers, who must prove negligence to receive compensation for injuries incurred on domestic flights.
At Kaveny + Kroll, we leverage our experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm for justice to get you the compensation you deserve. We put the “personal” in personal injury by communicating with you at every step of your legal journey. Two attorneys are assigned to your case and will be available to answer any questions you may have.
Large firms utilize assistants, paralegals, and case managers to keep your case moving through the system, while you may never even speak with an attorney. Although our Chicago airline injury attorneys have a cumulative 65-plus years of experience practicing law, including extensive backgrounds in big firms, we prefer our small-firm tradition of treating you like family.
Contact Our Chicago Legal Team For Help With Your Airline Injury
If you are injured on a commercial airline, the carrier’s negligence on domestic flights can be grounds for a damages award. But how can you take on a giant corporation that may not be based in Chicago?
At Kaveny + Kroll, we can handle the legal aspects so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. We believe that negligent parties have a duty to compensate those they injure, whether they are one person or a corporate conglomerate. Call now to schedule a free consultation and learn how a Chicago airline injury lawyer can help you.
