Why Hire Aviation Accident Lawyer Stephen H. Osborne?
At the Law Office of Stephen H. Osborne, your case is not just another case. Aviation accident lawyer Stephen Osborne takes a personal, client-centered approach to litigation, understanding the way your injuries, and the outcome of your case, will impact your life. Our injury law firm accepts cases on a contingency fee basis. We do not get paid legal fees unless we win your case and you receive compensation.
What Causes Aviation Accidents?
Aviation accidents can be caused by mechanics failing to properly check and service the airplane prior to lift-off, manufacturing defects, poor flight or landing conditions, ATC clearance errors, and pilot error. Since determining the cause of the airplane accident can be a lengthy and complicated process, aviation accident lawyer Stephen Osborne may employ the services of aviation experts when evaluating your case.
Pilot Errors
Pilot error can result if the airline does not follow proper protocols to ensure the health, safety, and fitness of the pilots prior to a flight. If the pilot is not transparent about whether he or she is in the right condition to fly the craft, it can lead to critical errors with fatal consequences.
ATC Clearance Errors
Air Traffic Control (ATC) workers are responsible for communicating with pilots about whether it is safe to take off or land the plane. ATC clearance errors can be deadly to those in an aircraft and to those in proximity of the craft, such as workers on the landing strip or people in the airport.
Mechanical or Equipment Malfunctions
Mechanical or equipment malfunctions are failures of airplane parts. If a part breaks down and workers are not deviating from standard operating procedures for the craft or equipment, the manufacturer may be liable under the theory of strict liability or products liability if the malfunction causes injuries.
Mid-Air Collisions
Midair collisions typically occur when a returning plane is landing, usually due to confusion over the location of other planes in the landing order, according to the Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (AOPA). Midair collisions are more likely to occur at non-towered airport locations.
Adverse Weather Conditions
Adverse weather conditions can interrupt communication between the craft and air traffic control, cause dangerous flying conditions, and cause an aviation accident during landing. A plane crash lawyer can help you determine if airline workers contributed to or failed to prevent the accident by not taking precautions in adverse weather conditions.
Contacting an experienced aviation accident attorney at the Law Office of Stephen H. Osborne at (775) 789-4944 today can put you on the right course to recovery.
Recoverable Damages After an Airplane Crash
Airplane accidents can cause serious or fatal injuries. You may be entitled to recover damages from the airline or other responsible parties. When you pursue a case after you were involved in an airplane accident, aviation accident lawyer Stephen Osborne can help determine the damages that may be available in your case.
Economic Damages
Economic damages serve to compensate you and your loved ones for the financial impact of injuries and death caused by an airplane crash. Economic damages may include current lost wages, medical bills, related out-of-pocket costs, and compensation for future lost wages and medical care expenses. Airplane accident lawyer Stephen Osborne will review your medical bills and statements, wage statements, and other documentation to determine the economic damages you are entitled to receive.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages serve to compensate you for the non-monetary losses you’ve endured because of the airplane crash. Non-economic damages include loss of companionship (in a wrongful death suit, for example), physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of parental training and guidance, and other losses. These damages are more difficult to quantify. Your aviation accident lawyer will likely use your economic damages as a basis for calculating their value.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are a penalty imposed to punish the party or parties responsible for an airplane crash, with the goal of preventing or limiting these types of events. Punitive damages may be appropriate in cases where the aviation accident was caused by intentional conduct of the airline workers or manufacturer of plane parts. Likewise, punitive damages are appropriate where the party or parties were reckless or grossly negligent, and that recklessness or negligence led to the plane crash.
Find Out How Much You Can Recover. (775) 789-4944
Who Can Be Held Liable for an Airplane Accident?
- Pilot
- Mechanic
- Manufacturer
- Air Traffic Control (ATC)
- Airline
Types of Aviation Accidents We Handle
- Airline Accidents – Airline accidents are those involving commercial flights where the customer purchases seats on the airplane.
- Air Ambulance Accidents – These accidents involve a rescue craft or air ambulance, those airplanes specially equipped as an ambulance to transport critically ill patients.
- Charter Plane Accidents – Charter planes are crafts that are rented out to customers for a fee. Charter airplane crashes are the most common.
- Helicopter Crash – Helicopter crashes occur at a much higher rate than other types of aircraft travel.
- International Airline Crashes – International airline crashes involve airplanes that are traveling overseas.
- Private Plane Accidents – Private plane accidents and charter plane accidents are among the most common airplane accidents.
The True Cost of Injuries that Can Be Sustained in an Aviation Accident
Aviation accidents often cause catastrophic injuries and deaths. Those who survive often suffer immense physical and emotional damage, such as brain injury, paralysis, and the inability to participate in the activities they enjoyed before the accident. In addition to the physical and emotional pain and suffering crash victims ensure, medical bills to treat their conditions can be exorbitant.
The lifetime cost to treat a traumatic brain injury, for example, can range from between $85,000 and $3 million. A spinal cord injury can cost victims between $1.3 and $4.5 million over the course of a lifetime. Burn injury victims can expect to pay upwards of $10 million in medical treatment costs.
Find Out How Much You Can Recover. Call: (775)789-4944
“Stephen Osborne and his team are great!”
FAQs About Aviation Accidents
How common are aviation accidents?
General aviation accidents happen infrequently, with a fatal accident rate of 1.049 per 100,000 flight hours in the United States in 2020, according to the National Safety Council.
When aviation accidents do occur, these crashes often result in fatalities. Survivors typically suffer from life-long injuries. An airplane accident attorney may evaluate your case to determine whether you can file a lawsuit and what kind of recovery to which you may be entitled.
Who can bring a lawsuit because of an aviation accident?
Passengers or others who were on the flight and/or the heirs of a deceased passenger are eligible to bring an aviation accident lawsuit if negligence contributed to the crash. An airplane crash attorney can help you determine whether you can bring a lawsuit because of a plane crash.
Do I have to file an aviation accident lawsuit right away?
Airplane accident cases can have short deadlines within which you must file a lawsuit. Speaking with a plane crash lawyer as soon as possible is important so that you do not miss your deadline to recover compensation.
How long does an aviation accident case typically take?
It depends. Because it can be difficult and time-consuming to determine all the necessary facts about an aviation crash and what led to the accident, these cases can take months, or even years to resolve
What kind of information will the airplane crash attorney need to evaluate my case?
You should bring or send to the aviation accident attorney records and information that they can use to understand the situation. This may include flight numbers, dates, injuries, and your account of what happened before, during, and after the crash.
What Type of Injury Lawyer Do You Need?
At the Law Office of Stephen H. Osborne, we take on the most complicated accident and injury cases, and win. What type of injury lawyer do you need?
