Aviation Accidents
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there were a total of 1,539 U.S. civil aviation accidents in 2012. A total of 447 people died in these aviation accidents. Aviation accidents are also likely to cause very serious injuries in the event that victims survive the crash.
When an aviation accident occurs, accident victims may have the right to take legal action to recover compensation for injuries or for the wrongful death of a loved one. However, the process of taking action and pursuing compensation differs depending upon the cause of the crash; where the accident happened; and what type of jet or plane the accident happened on. In every case, however, you need an experienced Boston aviation accident lawyer to help you understand your legal rights and pursue a claim for full compensation. Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can help.
The Dangers of Aviation AccidentsAviation accidents can occur on private aircrafts; on U.S. or international commercial planes; on charter planes; on sight-seeing planes; on corporate planes; and on air medical planes and jets. Although every type of plane, including private planes, must be piloted by a licensed professional, mistakes can still be made and things can still go wrong. In fact, aircraft accidents occur thousands of times per year as a result of problems including:
- Pilot and co-pilot error.
- Pilot incapacitation.
- Equipment failure and faulty equipment.
- Cabin fire.
- Design flaws.
- Fuel problems.
- Maintenance problems including a failure of the plane owner/operator to follow required maintenance schedules or a failure of aircraft mechanics to provide quality repairs and servicing.
- Mistakes made by air traffic controllers.
- Bird strikes.
- Bad weather.
Determining the cause of the aircraft accident can be difficult, especially when the crash involves a private plane. While the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other state and federal investigators will conduct extensive investigations of commercial airline crashes to identify problems and determine the cause of the incident, investigations of aviation accidents on private, corporate and charter planes are much more limited.
Investigating accidents after any plane crash is difficult because the material evidence is often destroyed and/or because the aircraft or its parts may be missing. When the crash happens on a private plane, it is even more challenging to investigate because the maintenance and certification procedures are not as rigorous on private planes and because there are often no “black boxes” as commercial airlines have. It is essential to have an experienced attorney representing you in these cases so you can do everything possible to get the evidence you need to take legal action.
Taking Legal Action After an Aviation AccidentWhen a plane crash occurs, airline passengers injured in the crash or the family members of deceased passengers can take legal action to obtain compensation. The plane owner; the commercial airline; the pilot; those responsible for the plane’s design and maintenance; or manufacturers of any defective plane parts could potentially be sued for compensation after a plane crash.
When the aviation accident involves a commercial airline, cases may be resolved in multi-district litigations or class actions. Cases may become complicated if the commercial airline is internationally based, and having an experienced attorney is key to resolving the complex legal matters inherent in these types of cases. Those injured in plane crashes involving private planes also need a lawyer to help them identify all possible defendants and to build a strong claim for compensation.
The Boston aviation accident lawyers at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers are here to help accident victims injured in any type of commercial or private plane crash. Give us a call or contact us online today to schedule a free no obligation consultation and learn how we can help you.