Aviation Accidents In Philadelphia

Air travel is often thought of as being safer than traveling on the road. However, aviation accidents happen surprisingly often. When they do happen, the results are often devastating: With so far to fall, injuries are often severe or fatal in an aviation accident. Unlike in a car accident, it is exceedingly rare for someone to walk away from an aviation accident.

This is why the personal injury attorneys at the law office of Gilman & Bedigian work to represent those who have been hurt in aviation accidents in and around the city of Philadelphia. By representing you in court, we can ensure you get the compensation you deserve from whoever was ultimately responsible for your injuries.

Aviation Accidents – Background 

In the United States, there are two different categories of aviation travel: Large air carriers like American Airlines that use massive passenger and cargo planes, and general aviation, which is composed largely of single-engine planes.

In 2015, the large air carriers in the U.S. flew over 7.6 billion miles, accounting for almost 9 million separate departures and more than 17 million hours in the air. Despite all of this air time, there were no fatalities, and there were only 27 injuries. These numbers were reported by the United States Department of Transportation.

Instead, most of the accidents in aviation happen in single-engine or other smaller planes or helicopters. Accidents involving these planes happen surprisingly often. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there were 1,223 accidents involving a general aviation vehicle in 2014, alone. 257 of those accidents were fatal, totaling 424 fatalities. In fact, since 1964, more than 45,000 people have died in a small plane or helicopter accidents, and these numbers are on the increase: The accident rate in general aviation flights has risen 20% in the past decade. The fatality rate has increased by 25%, as well.

Causes of Aviation Accidents

There are lots of things that can go wrong that can result in a serious aviation accident. These can happen at any time, too – from takeoff to landing and both while the plane is in-flight or is still on the ground.

Many aviation accidents happen because of a pilot error. Flying a plane requires a high level of care and expertise – enough to require a significant stint in flight school before you can get your pilot’s license – and even the smallest mistake can result in a serious crash. Taking off and landing are extremely difficult things to do, and navigating in bad weather is something that even the best pilots can struggle with.

However, pilot error is not the only reason why planes crash. According to a report by USA Today, defective plane parts are astoundingly common and potentially dangerous. These poorly-designed airplane parts have been found to be the cause of many aviation crashes. Worse, the makers of these parts, including such big names as Mitsubishi, Bell, and Cessna, knew about these defects and their danger, and yet refused to issue a recall because of the expense.

Aviation Injury Accidents

When a plane does crash, the injuries are often severe or fatal. There is little that can prevent a significant injury after falling several hundred or over a thousand feet, so minor injuries after a plane crash are relatively rare. Even when the injuries do not prove to be fatal, the long-term repercussions of an injury sustained in an aviation accident are often significant and costly.

Some of the most common injuries that happen in an aviation accident include head injuries, neck and back injuries, severe lacerations and cuts, as well as broken bones and burn injuries.

Philadelphia Aviation Accident Attorneys

Because of the severity of the injuries that are often sustained in an aviation accident, the medical bills, long-term care, and the pain and suffering of the victims is often significant, requiring the help of a personal injury attorney. By legally representing you in court and fighting for your rights and interests, the personal injury attorneys at the Philadelphia law office of Gilman & Bedigian can do all they can to ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve. After all, if you were not responsible for your injuries, then it is very unjust to make you pay for them. Getting the compensation you need to make a full recovery from the people who were responsible for your injuries is what we do at Gilman & Bedigian.

Contact our Philadelphia law office online or at (800) 529-6162.