Flying in airplanes can be an exciting experience. Flying means you are traveling to a new place. Maybe you’re about to start vacation or moving to a new city. And flying in airplanes is only becoming safer and more convenient with modern technology. However, this doesn’t mean that injuries never happen on planes. Today, I’d like to discuss some common in-flight injuries that occur on airplanes and what you should do if you are a victim of an airplane accident.
Common In-flight Injuries
For the purposes of this article, I will only be discussing injuries that occur inside of the plane – not plane crashes or emergency landings. Some of the most common in-flight injuries include:
- Sprained bones
- Broken bones
- Torn ligaments
- Cuts
- Bruises
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Panic attacks
- Head injuries
Injuries such as the ones listed above stem from events that occur on planes such as:
- Luggage falling from overhead compartments
- Runaway food carts
- Turbulence
- Fear of flying (I’d be the one having the panic attack!)
- Passenger negligence (for example, standing up or moving around when the seatbelt sign is on)
- Any falling objects (for instance in the bathroom)
Is the Airline Responsible
If you are familiar with my blog, you can probably guess the answer to this one. Basically, there is no “yes” or “no” answer here because it will depend on your personal situation. In order to sue an airline for personal injury, you have to prove that the airline or employees were negligent and that their carelessness caused your airplane accident. So, what kind of acts would be considered negligent?
Any carelessness by an employee is considered negligence, whether it is committed by a maintenance worker, a flight attendant, a pilot, or a worker on the ground. Some common examples on airplanes include:
- Leaving objects in aisles
- Not securing overhead compartments
- Not checking that seatbelts are properly fastened
- Turbulence
Making a claim that a crew was negligent when it comes to turbulence can be tricky. This is because turbulence is not always predictable – however, oftentimes it is. If you can prove that the flight crew could foresee possible turbulence, and they did not warn you and you were injured as a result, you might have a case.
Common Carrier Standard
Airlines are responsible for their passengers under a more intensive duty of care than other companies under the common carrier standard. This standard defines an airline as public transportation, which means that they have to adhere to the common carrier standard. This means that it is easier to prove negligence because airline employees and flight crews are bound to use extra vigilance and caution while on the job.
If you think that you have a claim that can be made against an airline, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case.
