Aviation accidents or plane crashes are rare and thankfully, the numbers have come down drastically over the years. Unfortunately, the number tends to spike every few years for reasons not fully understood yet. In the year 2018, a total of 561 plane crash-related deaths were reported and it came right after a year where the aviation industry had recorded an all-time low death toll of 59.
If we look at things from the victim’s perspective though, it hardly matters whether they were one of the 59 or 561. To their closest surviving family members, it’s an all-encompassing tragedy where they lost someone close forever. If you or someone close to you lost a family member in a plane crash, know that you may still have legal options to receive justice and compensation.
You Have the Right to Sue One or More Responsible Parties
Whether you are a rare survivor of an aviation accident yourself, or a family member of the deceased, you have the right to sue one or more parties deemed responsible. The party or parties may include the following, as applicable in line with the accident’s circumstances.
- The airline.
- The airport management.
- The pilots.
- The airplane manufacturer.
- The party or parties responsible for performing preflight safety checks and general airplane management.
- The party or parties responsible for flight scheduling and route mapping.
- The government and/or private parties responsible for air traffic management and weather predictions.
What Kind of Compensations Can be Expected?
You can expect full financial compensation for your loss, provided that your aviation accident attorney manages to either win the case for you or settle it on your behalf outside the court. However, that full compensation amount will vary depending on several factors such as:
- The concerned jurisdiction’s applicable laws.
- The claims included in the lawsuit.
- The merits of each claim.
- Severity of the suffered injuries (if the victim survived).
- Unique circumstances of the case, if any.
- The party or parties sued.
- Competence of your plane crash lawyers.
To know the merits of your case and the possible compensation amount, speak to an aviation accident claims law firm.
What are Your Options in Aviation Accident Claims?
A surviving victim or their immediate family members can claim compensation against:
- Past, present, and estimated future medical expenses and disability expenses incurred on account of the accident.
- Past, present, and estimated future wages lost on account of the accident.
- Past, ongoing, and estimated future losses owed to pain and suffering, disfigurement, etc. caused by the accident.
It is an unfortunate truth that plane crash victims have a very high mortality rate. In that case, most of the above claims (if applicable) will be received by their surviving kin and/or next of kin on winning the lawsuit.
Additionally, they can also include claims for the funeral expenses and emotional damage caused by the loss of a loved one. As mentioned, the claims will differ depending on the jurisdiction and the case’s particulars. Consult with your aviation accident claims attorney for more information.
