Air travel is incredibly safe, but if accidents and illness happen during your travels you may be entitled to compensation. Slater and Gordon is a specialist claims firm with extensive experience of helping clients who've been injured on airline flights.
Travelling by plane is often an exciting and busy time for many people, whether travelling for a holiday, to visit friends or family, or even a work trip. However, when mistakes occur and accidents result in injury, it can have a significant impact on your trip, not to mention causing unnecessary pain and discomfort.
Airport and flight operators have a duty to ensure passengers are safe when travelling, no matter where they are. This includes any space within the airport, during embarkation or disembarkation, and while on the aeroplane itself. Therefore, if you’ve suffered an injury or illness when travelling by air due to someone else’s actions or negligence, you could be entitled to make an aviation accident claim.
What are the types of accident that can lead to an aviation accident claim?
Air travel is incredibly safe, with serious accidents few and far between. Having said that, we have acted for many clients who have been injured during business and holiday flights in the UK and abroad. Typically, this involves:
Overhead locker door injuries
Overhead baggage falling
Slips or trips – on or off the plane
Burns or scalds from food service
Trolley accidents
In-flight turbulence
Heavy landings
Injuries caused by other passengers
Allergy reaction to in-flight meals
Naturally, there are also many other ways in which injuries can arise from an aeroplane flight. So if you have been harmed on a plane and feel that someone else was to blame, ask us about making a No Win No Fee Claim today.
Can I claim for domestic flights as well as overseas flights?
When you're injured on a plane, it doesn't really matter whether you are flying inside the UK or abroad. That's because of something called the Montreal Convention 1999. The Montreal Convention 1999 governs international carriage by air and imposes a form of strict liability on the airline in respect of accidents causing injury.
At first glance the regime seems to be very consumer friendly but matters get a little trickier when attempting to establish that an accident has occurred. This is because the passenger needs to prove:
The accident itself was unusual or unexpected (outside the ordinary course of events)
The accident was external to the passenger (it was not caused due to their internal reaction i.e. Deep Vein Thrombosis)
The accident took place upon the aircraft or during the process of embarkation or disembarkation
A few examples of accidents of common accidents, for which the Convention usually allows you to claim are; being hit by luggage from the overhead locker, or being struck by the drinks trolley.
What does air accident compensation cover?
While serious air accidents are quite rare, any injury caused at the airport or during a flight can have a significant impact on your quality of life. The aim of a compensation claim is to provide you with the financial resources to support your recovery.
As part of your claim, your specialist aviation lawyer will consider two different types of damages when determining how much compensation you should be awarded – general damages and special damages.
‘General damages’ describes compensation awarded for the injury itself, and covers your pain and suffering, the severity of your injuries (both physical and psychological), and the probability of a full recovery.
‘Special damages’ refers to any financial losses you may have incurred due to your injury. This could include a loss of earnings, any medical expenses (both present and in the future), transportation costs, and the cost of any adaptations you may need to your home or car in the case of severe injury or disability.
If you’ve been injured at an airport or during a flight due to someone else’s actions or negligence, it is only right you receive compensation to help support your recovery and quality of life.
When you reach out to our expert aviation lawyers, we’ll arrange a time to sit down with you to discuss the details of your case during an informal, no-obligation conversation. Throughout this meeting, we’ll ask you questions to determine whether you have a case and provide tailored advice to explain your options going forward.
If you choose to take your claim forward, we’ll get the ball rolling by informing the other side of your intent to make a claim. We’ll also start to gather all the relevant evidence to support your case, such as medical records and evidence of financial losses, as well as arranging an independent medical examination.
As the case progresses, we’ll ensure you’re kept up to date and in the loop on all developments, providing you with the comfort and knowledge that your case is in good hands.
Why choose Slater and Gordon’s aviation accident lawyers?
Travelling abroad is often a fun and exciting time, and no one should have to deal with the consequences of accidents and injuries due to someone else’s negligence. If you’ve been injured while travelling by air, our specialist aviation lawyers are here to help and will be by your side every step of the way.
Our award-winning aviation lawyers specialise in personal injury cases with a foreign element. What sets us apart is our strong network of relationships, both domestically and internationally. We work closely with medical experts and foreign solicitors who provide us with invaluable insights to expedite your claim swiftly and efficiently – no matter where or how you were injured.
When you choose our travel lawyers, you will not only be getting legal expertise for your holiday claim but a dedicated and empathetic lawyer who will help you get the compensation you deserve.
We are an award winning law firm and have a dedicated team of travel solicitors to advise and guide you – no matter how complex your situation may be.
Affordability and advice
We're able to offer affordable expert legal advice and can provide guidance on all aspects of your injury claim. Our Initial Consultation provides tailored advice on your situation giving you clear guidance and options regarding next steps.
Tailored advice
We understand that every claim is different – so we are able to provide tailored advice and guidance to suit your individual needs.
Local access
We are a national law firm, with legal experts available locally across the UK. Meetings can be arranged via telephone or video call, to suit your requirements.
Speak to one of our holiday accident solicitors today
The Montreal Convention 1999 has a strict time limit for which you can bring a claim, which is two years from the date of the accident. It is advisable, however, that if you have been injured upon an aircraft, or during embarkation, or disembarkation, that you seek advice on making a claim without delay.
How much will my aviation accident claim be worth?
It's difficult to say how much compensation you might receive for an injury that resulted from a flight as it depends on the extent of your injuries and how long it's expected a full recovery will take. However, in addition to damages for pain and suffering, you may also be able to claim for any lost earnings as well as the cost of any medical treatment or rehabilitation that may be required.
How long does an air accident compensation claim take?
This all depends on how serious your injuries are as well as whether the airline accepts responsibility.
However, we always aim to pursue justice for our clients as quickly and efficiently as possible and will also seek to claim interim payments where your injury might cause you financial hardship, or where you need to begin rehabilitation as soon as possible.
Who is responsible for air accident claims?
To successfully pursue an air accident claim, you’ll need to prove that someone else’s actions or negligence caused the accident and, subsequently, your injuries. The party responsible can vary depending upon the circumstances of your accident; for instance, it could be the aircraft operator, the airport, or the manufacturers and maintenance suppliers where an engineering or mechanical failure were to blame.
Really helpful and always on the other side of the phone if needed. Quick and easy service. Ashley
Excellent communication, in constant contact with the latest info regarding your case. David
Everything is moving along quickly and smoothly. Good professional service I'm glad I chose Slater and Gordon. Kenny Jackson