While traveling via airplane is generally considered safe, accidents happen – especially when it comes to smaller aircrafts and helicopters. Unfortunately, serious injury and death are common when it comes to aviation accidents.
The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, are the agencies that set guidelines and regulations governing flight operations, safety standards, pilot conduct, manufacturing of aircraft, and other issues pertinent to aviation. These two agencies are also charged with investigating aviation accidents.
Injuries caused by aviation accidents can be devastating. Often, these accidents are the direct result of human mistakes or mechanical failures. Because of the high level of regulation in the industry, most mistakes and errors can be directly linked to FAA or NTSB violations. In this case, the responsible parties can be held liable for the victims’ losses in an accident.
Some causes of aviation accidents may include:
- Defects in equipment
- Design flaws
- Non-adherence to FAA safety standards
- Improper fueling of aircraft
- Air traffic control errors
- Negligence
- Weather
- Pilot errors
- Poor maintenance
Litigating an aviation law case can be difficult due to the layers of regulations and laws surrounding aviation. Liability claims could be made under state, federal and international law, while the number of parties liable for the accident could vary wildly from one case to the next. For example, one case may claim that an accident was purely the cause of pilot error, while another may hold a manufacturer, owner and pilot liable in some way for the accident.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured – or killed – in an aviation accident, you have the right to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your losses. These losses could include medical bills, lost wages, personal pain and suffering and more.