Airline Crashes

Statistics show that the average person is more likely to be involved in an auto accident than a plane accident.  However, as rare as plane accidents are, they often result in devastating injuries and death.

Causes of Planes Crashes

Two of the most common reasons airline crashes happen are pilot error and mechanical failures.  Other reasons airplanes crash include:

• weather conditions;
• sabotage;
• flight personnel error;
• fueling errors;
• baggage handling errors;
• air traffic controller errors;
• shoddy maintenance; and
• design errors.

The activities of most airplanes are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as specific state and federal laws.  Adherence to all regulations, laws, and guidelines are mandatory.  Unfortunately, many airline crashes occur because these rules and regulations have been violated.

What Does the NTSB Do?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is responsible for investigating the causes of plane crashes.  The NTSB has no regulatory power.  However, it often makes safety recommendations to the FAA and other regulatory agencies based upon the results of its airline crash investigations.

When a plane crashes, recovering the black box and the cockpit voice recorder are of utmost importance to the crash investigators.  Another important tool the NTSB uses in investigating plane crashes and near misses is video.  Plane crash videos provide extremely useful information to crash investigators as to the causes of plane crashes and how similar incidents can be avoided in the future.  If no live plane crash video footage is available, the NTSB uses animations to recreate the crash and what happened in the moments before the crash.

Who is Liable for Airline Crashes?

When a plane crashes, the victims of the crash and their loved ones may have claims for personal injury and wrongful death.  However, who is ultimately liable to passengers injured in plane crashes or to the loved ones of those who die in airline crashes depends on the cause of the crash.  Typically, the airline,  the airport, maintenance personnel, and the manufacturer of the plane will be named as defendants in plane crash lawsuits.  It is a common practice for plaintiff's in airline crash lawsuits to name all possible defendants, including “John Does” - defendants whose identifies are unknown at the time the lawsuit is filed.  If it is ultimately determined that a defendant has been wrongfully named in a lawsuit, the case against that defendant will be dismissed.

Getting Legal Help

Plane crash litigation is very time consuming and complicated.  If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a plane crash, you should contact an experienced plane accident attorney to represent you.  Having the right attorney representing you will greatly improve your chances of being adequately compensated for your injuries.