Airplane Accidents

Although injuries or deaths stemming from airplane accidents and crashes are not the leading cause of death in California, they certainly do occur. There are many causes that lead to aviation accidents, from faulty equipment to poor maintenance to unavoidable phenomena, such as storms or collisions with birds. Inexperience on the part of the pilot can also be a leading cause of aviation accidents.

If you feel that your injuries or the death of a spouse or family member was caused by an issue that could have been prevented, you have the option to file an aviation accident claim in order to get a fair settlement that will cover your losses, whether physical, emotional, or financial. If you choose to do so, you will need to hire an experienced aviation accident claims attorney who can represent your case.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Aviation Accidents?

While the overall state of the aviation industry is in excellent shape, accidents do occur from time to time that result in injuries or fatalities. These can be due to any number of causes, although there are several common scenarios that do seem to be behind most aviation accidents. These scenarios include, but are not limited to the following:

Aircraft or Components Can Be Defective

Airplanes and other aircraft are complicated pieces of machinery. They are comprised of many component parts that allow the craft to take flight, gain and maintain altitude and land. A failure of any of these components can spell disaster. While these failures are often due to poor maintenance (see below), they can also be caused defects in the design or manufacturing of the part. A determination of whether a defective component contributed to or caused a plane or other aircraft to crash requires expert analysis.

Aviation Accidents Can Be Caused by Poor Maintenance

One of the most common causes of aviation accidents is poor maintenance. After the airplane is first introduced into the fleet of a major airline, it will naturally receive periodic maintenance checks in order to ensure that it is functioning at peak condition. These maintenance checks will from time to time reveal that repairs to certain instruments and components are necessary. Alterations may be made to certain parts of the aircraft in order to update it to currently prevailing safety standards.

If the aircraft does not receive these periodic inspections, or if they are performed in a less than satisfactory manner by the person responsible for maintaining the aircraft, this could result in a tragic accident that could claim the lives of passengers. This accident can ultimately be traced back to the persons who were given the responsibility of inspecting the aircraft, as well as those individuals who were charged with carrying out the mandated repairs.

Accidents Can Be Caused by Pilot Negligence or Error

Aviation accidents can also be caused by negligence or error on the part of the pilot. Most accidents that are caused by pilot error will be due to incapacity on the part of the pilot due to exhaustion, the effects of drugs or alcohol, or a sudden onset of illness (such as a heart attack or stroke). Mistakes can also be made by inexperienced pilots with a low number of flight hours.

While deliberate or willful negligence is relatively rare, this can also be a cause of aircraft related injuries or fatalities. The tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is widely attributed to deliberate sabotage on the part of the pilot. Other types of accidents ultimately attributable to pilot error can include mid-air collisions with objects such as ground control towers, other aircraft, or even birds.

What Types of Damages May Be Recovered for the Surviving Victims or Their Families?

Being involved in a plane accident or having someone close to you get killed in an aviation accident can be a very traumatic and painful experience for which recovery is slow. California law entitles recovery for survivors of these incidents who incur medical expenses (including future medical care and treatment), loss of income or earnings and emotional distress related to the event. The spouses, children and persons financially dependent upon any person who is killed as a result of an flight crash to recover the loss of income and cost of funeral or burial expenses related to the incident as well as the economic damages associated with the loss of the love and companionship associated with victim in a wrongful death claim.

Contact an Aviation Accident Claims Attorney in California

If you or a loved one have been involved in an aviation accident that you believe was due to pilot error, poor maintenance, or defective equipment, you have the right to file a claim for injury or wrongful death. You also have the right to engage the services of an attorney to represent you in court. If you are ready to file your claim in order to get the justice you deserve, there’s no time like the present. Contact an aviation accident claims attorney in California today to learn just what they can do for you. Our helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is toll free: 866-966-5240