Airplane crashes offer special challenge

Gathering evidence and determining fault requires the expertise of an aircraft accident attorney

Airlines can and should be held liable when passengers are injured or killed by a commercial or military aircraft accident. Persons injured by an airplane accident, or surviving family members, face special challenges in seeking justice but can be assured that a just settlement will be negotiated by a competent, knowledgeable aircraft accident attorney.

When an airplane crashes, whether a commercial or military aircraft accident, discovering what caused the crash is a challenge because much of the evidence likely will have been destroyed, including indications of pilot error or mechanical failure.

Pilot error is the most common cause of any airplane accident. Others are extreme weather conditions, mechanical failures, and design flaws. It is critical that whatever evidence is available at the crash site be collected and studied so that the cause of the crash can be determined. Once this is done, an attorney can determine whether there is a basis for a lawsuit.

Commercial airplanes are governed by different laws, regulations and protocols than are private airplanes or private vehicles. Airlines are governed by regulations affecting common carriers. A common carrier is a business that transports persons or cargo for compensation.

Both federal and state regulations govern common carriers such as airplanes, trains and buses. As a general rule, a common carrier is held to a higher standard of care than a private party. Common carriers, such as commercial airlines, must have the training and skills to transport passengers and must exercise more than reasonable care in doing so.

The attorneys at Cochran & Foley have the skills, legal knowledge and experience needed to protect people who have suffered personal injury or the death of a loved one because of an airplane crash and will seek to win payment for their clients' injuries, expenses, and loss.

Actual damages can be awarded for medical bills, lost income, funeral expenses, pain and suffering, mental stress, permanent disability and similar hardships.

Punitive damages, above and beyond those actually incurred by the victim, are intended to punish the guilty party for reckless or inappropriate behavior. Punitive damages also can function as a deterrent for others.

An attorney can collect damages for your family by proving that the airlines and/or pilot were negligent. A pilot is negligent when he or she fails to exercise reasonable care in transporting passengers or behaves in a manner that knowingly will endanger passengers.

Cochran & Foley will ensure a family's economic security, reimbursements for other economic loss, and ensure justice by pursuing punitive damages.

Victims should not hesitate from filing a lawsuit for fear of filing a frivolous lawsuit. That's propaganda created by the insurance industry. Let your attorney, not an insurance agent, determine what's frivolous and when justice should be pursued.

In America, a jury makes a decision on damages after hearing all of the evidence. The jury award is designed to compensate the injury victim. A fundamental right of all Americans is a trial by jury, allowing our fellow citizens to hear our case and to make a decision. Do not give up any of your rights as a citizen!

Statutes of limitation limit the length of time you have to file a lawsuit. If you fail to file a lawsuit within that time period you may forever be denied the justice due you. If you have been injured in an airplane and believe that you have a case, it is critical that you seek legal help quickly.

If you believe you are a victim, let Cochran, Foley & Associates fight for your rights. There is no obligation for case evaluation and no fee is charged unless a recovery is made. Click here for a free consultation or call 800-322-5543 and ask for Terry Cochran or Lynn Foley.