Air accident claims

Flying is still considered one of the safest forms of travel as millions of people will testify to. It is both convenient and affordable and undertaken for reasons of business and pleasure.

There are numerous safety procedures in place to ensure that passengers are transported to their chosen location safely and trouble free.

But accidents happen. No form of transport is 100% risk free and this includes air travel.

Many of us choose to travel this way and accept the risks but assume that it will never happen to us. Statistically the risks of an airplane accident are low but if it does happen then the consequences are devastating.

The difference between this type of accident and those involving other forms of transport is that there is unlikely to be any survivors. Airplane accidents usually involve large number of fatalities and very few people survive such an accident.

Note: This applies to accidents involving helicopters and small private planes as well as the large passenger airliners.

But if you have been involved in an airplane accident then you may be entitled to compensation.

Effect of an airplane accident

An airplane accident is a terrifying situation and one that many of us can only imagine. It results in a large number of deaths and anyone who is fortunate to survive often has serious even life threatening injuries.

There are also the psychological and emotional effects to deal with such as post traumatic stress disorder which can persist for many years. In some cases, the survivors never completely recover from their ordeal.

For these people this is a life changing situation.

The effects cannot be underestimated: these include physical aspects such the pain and discomfort experienced as a result of the accident. Then there are the emotional effects as well.

These are experienced by not only the injured person but their family as well. Their family may have to deal with a serious injury or come to terms with the death of their relative which causes a great deal of anxiety and stress.

Related to all of this is the issue of money. If you have been seriously injured in an airplane accident then you will have to take time off work which means a drop in your income. This loss of earnings then affects your family’s standard of living.

There may be additional expenses to deal with such as cost of specialist treatment, nursing care, support services etc.

These are all worrying issues for you and your family but compensation can help. It will not undo what has happened but it can cover the costs of treatment and other services mentioned above.

Making a claim for compensation for an air accident

Compensation claims rest upon the issue of negligence and whether an injury was caused by someone else’s fault.

This is extremely difficult to prove in cases of this magnitude and requires the services of a highly skilled personal injury lawyer. He or she will have knowledge and experience in this field and will work with you to establish the facts of the case.

He or she will understand how distressing this situation is and should handle your claim with sensitivity and understanding. He/she can help you claim compensation; or as it more commonly the case, compensation for members of a family who have lost a loved one in an air accident.

Air accidents tend to involve fatalities so it is more than likely that a claim will be brought by surviving members of a family.

If you want to know more about the claims process then visit our making a claim for compensation section.

Time limit for claiming compensation for an air accident

Claims for a personal injury have a 3 year time limit. This time limit usually starts from the date of the accident.

But there are a few exceptions to this which may include claims of this enormity. Speak to your lawyer about the time limit for your claim.