Finding Attorneys In Wasilla for Airplane Accidents

by Kristen White Blogger

Causes of Airplane Accidents

As with any personal injury case, you have to prove two things: liability (who is at fault) and damages (the fact that someone was injured). To determine who is at fault, you must of course learn the cause(s) of such as accident.

So what are some of the reasons for an aircraft crash? Below are a few of the more common possibilities.

Pilot error: Did the pilot not act appropriately, steer the plan incorrectly, not listen to instructions, ignore weather or other warnings?
Defective equipment: Did the radar malfunction? Did certain gauges not give proper readings? Did a part of the plane not function correctly, causing the incident?
Fueling problem: Was there not enough fuel in the plane? Did the plane read the amount of fuel incorrectly? Was there a leak in the fuel tank? Did the fuel not flow to the engine properly?
Maintenance or structural issue: Did the maintenance company/employees perform a thorough check? Was there a physical issue with the plane that led to the incident?
Traffic control mistake: Did the people in the control tower miss another plane coming? Was the pilot directed to the wrong runway?
Violation of FAA regulation: Did someone not follow a regulation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that resulted in an incident? This could be flying at the wrong altitude, not having adequate fuel reserves, traversing the wrong runway, etc.
Other negligence: Did the flight crew fail to perform safety checks? Did airline personnel physically assault a passenger?

As you can see, there are many different possibilities as to the cause of a crash and, as such, a Plane Accident Lawyer In Wasilla must look at all scenarios and devise a strategy accordingly.

Who Can Be Sued?

In light of the many different possibilities of a crash, even The Best Attorneys In Wasilla may run into a dilemma. This arises out of the fact that you only have two years from the date of the accident to bring a lawsuit, and the National Transportation Safety Board or other investigating body may not issue a report regarding fault within that time period. For these reasons, lawsuits are generally brought against many different defendants.

For claims where defective equipment, poor design or structural issues are believed to be a possible cause of the incident, a product liability claim may be brought against the manufacturer or distributor of the airplane or the defective part(s). In such a claim, a “strict liability” standard applies, which is a lower burden of proof for a plaintiff.

Claims of negligence (a mistake by a particular person or entity), are often brought against pilot, maintenance crew, airport, air traffic controller, etc. In such a case, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant did not act reasonably under the circumstances.

Claims for violations of FAA regulations can be brought against any party that violated same. These are more commonly brought against air traffic controllers, pilots and airlines for performing acts in contravention of FAA laws.

There is plenty more to know as well, which is why it is so important to retain a plane accident lawyer to help you recover for the likely devastating losses sustained due to a plane crash. Keep in mind that, although there are many rules to follow and many considerations, the best attorneys in Wasilla are experienced and able to take whatever steps are necessary to maximize your recovery.