Maison Law represents the victims of airplane accidents and their families. We assist surviving victims in getting the support they need to make a full recovery. Our compassionate California Airplane Accident Lawyers also work to earn benefits for families who have lost a loved one in a tragic air disaster.

Please contact us after an accident involving an airplane for a free, no-obligation consultation for you and your family. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold an aviation company fully liable.

California Airplane Accident Dangers

There are hundreds of planes in the airspace over California at any one time. When a malfunction or an act of negligence causes one of these airplanes to fall from the sky, the consequences are devastating.

The National Safety Council (NSC) documented 349 civil aviation deaths in the U.S. in 2020. That number rose to 376 in 2021. There were no deaths that involved a commercial airline in those two years. Unfortunately, it only takes a single crash of a passenger airliner to send victim rates skyrocketing for any given year.

The results are often fatal and the families left behind after a victim’s death must deal with the grief of a tragedy. They must also worry about their own futures now that a critical member of the family and the support they have always provided has been taken away.

The danger passengers are exposed to includes more than just the risk of an air disaster. Victims can take falls on unstable walkways while boarding, or be struck by luggage that isn’t properly fastened. Patients can suffer broken bones and head trauma and face long and expensive recoveries.

It’s why California personal injury law allows victims and their families to seek support after an accident. But airlines don’t always make it easy for victims to get help. A California airplane accident lawyer fights back against unhelpful airline corporations and makes sure victims and their families get the help they need.

Common Causes of Airline Crashes

An airline disaster can put hundreds of lives in danger at once and it’s often the negligence of an airline and its employees that’s ultimately found to blame. Inclement weather can make a flight difficult, but it’s often human error that causes the worst air tragedies.

A pilot’s miscalculation may lead to a dangerous mistake that leads to a mid-air collision. An oversight by the grounds crew could lead to a malfunction of an engine once the plane is in the air.

These and other dangerous problems can be ignored or missed until it’s too late:

Aircraft engine malfunction.
Gas line leaks.
Electrical system problems.
Pilot error.
Pilots not getting enough rest.
Pilots under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Pilots who aren’t trained properly.
Pilots with shaky safety records allowed to remain on the job.

Inspections of all major systems of an aircraft are supposed to be completed after each flight but can get put off. The supervision of pilots and other employees should also occur to catch issues, but these problems may be allowed to continue.

If you were hurt in an airplane mishap or you tragically lost a loved one in a crash, you may have to rely on the investigative skills of a California airplane accident lawyer. Your lawyer would track down the real issue that led to a problem during a flight and hold every at-fault party responsible for what happened.

Airplane Crash Compensation for People Struck on the Ground

A plummeting plane can cause terrible damage once it’s on the ground. The victims can include people in cars or in their homes in the impact zone.

These victims and their families would also have the right to file claims and receive support in recovery from an airline. A California airplane crash lawyer files airplane accident claims on behalf of injured victims and their family members to seek full support for clients.

Other Types of Airline Personal Injury Accidents

There are other ways you can be hurt before and during a flight. Airlines like Delta, United, and Frontier promise safe, clean flights, but sometimes hazards are overlooked. Flight attendants and cleaning crews can leave obstacles out that might cause falls.

Getting on board and getting to your seat may prove dangerous if something goes wrong that could have been prevented by the swift action of a crewmember.

These are just a few examples of personal injury cases that arise onboard flights:

Slip-and-falls during boarding could send you down to fracture your hip. You may throw your arms out to catch yourself only to hear a wrist bone break. If a wet spot is left on the jet bridge or in the bathroom, crew members have to clean it up in a reasonable amount of time or face liability if you are hurt.
A trip-and-fall could send you down hard on your knee if you get your foot caught on the uneven edges between a footbridge and the aircraft. You might catch your foot on a piece of luggage that should have been placed in an overhead compartment or checked underneath the plane.

Luggage falling from unsecured overhead bins can cause skull fractures and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs).

Suffering physical harm from turbulence that could have been avoided.

Unreasonable risks to elderly passengers created by the airline.
The injury or harm done to an unaccompanied minor passenger in the care of the airline.
Injuries suffered by disabled passengers due to the inaction and non-compliance of the airline.
Exposure to dangerous chemicals left behind by cleaning crews.

Who Is Responsible for My Airplane Accident?

Your California airplane accident lawyer would work to identify every party that is liable for your injury or the harm that was caused to your loved one. In the case of an airplane crash or a fall while boarding, there may be more than one party responsible for your injury or loss. Several entities may be required to provide compensation to you.

Your lawyer would gather evidence to find out if any or all of these parties played a role in an accident:

Airport Officials – Air traffic controllers can send airplanes on dangerous paths or supply pilots with incorrect information. Controllers are under the FAA and a lawsuit would be directed against the federal government.
Airlines – The airline you or a loved one flew on would be responsible for every employee’s actions during a flight. That would include errors by a pilot, a flight attendant, the ground crews, gate agents, and cleaning crews. Airlines are also responsible for doing proper background checks on employees before they are hired. Airlines must see to the proper training of employees and make sure pilots are getting enough time to rest between shifts.
Airplane Manufacturer – In some instances, it’s found that a design flaw is the cause of an airplane crash or frightening malfunction. An airplane maker like Boeing or a company that makes airplane parts, like General Electric, could be held accountable.

Compensation Available After an Airplane Accident

After a plane crash or any accident on board a plane, victims and their families would have up to two years to file injury or wrongful death claims. They’d need to act quickly to make sure fresh evidence was still available for a California personal injury lawyer to find.

A skilled lawyer would also keep careful note of every hardship victims and their families endured after an airplane accident. An accurate list of these damages must be included in an accident claim or a lawsuit. Anything left off won’t help increase the value of a settlement check or a judgment issued in court.

Surviving victims could ask for help with every hospital bill they received. This should include estimates on any care expected to be necessary in the years to come. Victims could ask for help in replacing the income lost while they’ve been out of work. They should also receive additional support for the emotional trauma and physical pain they’ve been put through.

Wrongful Death Benefits Available for the Families of California Airplane Accident Victims

Families suffering the loss of a loved one in a tragic airplane crash should be allowed to grieve without financial worries. Unfortunately, the bills that follow a devastating accident can come due and leave close relatives in a financial crisis.

California allows families affected by a plane crash to file wrongful death claims and ask for support from airlines and other aviation-related entities.

A skilled California airplane accident lawyer would ask for these and other benefits for surviving family members:

Money to pay for a funeral and proper burial.
Money to pay any medical bills that remain.
Money to replace the income the deceased can no longer provide to support loved ones in the future.
Support for the loss of care and guidance a tragic death creates.

Contact a California Aviation Injury Lawyer

If an airline’s negligence caused an injury or death in your family, you should speak to a California Airline Injury Lawyer. Contact us to schedule a free and confidential consultation. It’s a chance to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold an airline fully responsible.

We also compassionately represent families who have lost a loved one in a devastating aircraft disaster. We handle the negotiations with airlines and their lawyers, to allow family members the time to grieve their loss without worry over the future.

Additional Resources:

California Airplane Accident Lawyer