Aviation Lawyer & Attorney

Aviation is becoming an increasingly important mode of travel for the wider public and as such many more people have become subjects to aviation laws and regulations without even being aware of it. As with any other form of transport, flying is an inherently risky and dangerous act which has strict laws governing it.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is basically the agency which is tasked to keep the airways safe for travel for the mass population but as we have observed in Sept 11, a determined foe can breach all security defenses and create havoc. Although the laws were initially set-up to protect individuals from injury caused by airline or airport causes, the law has not been extended to deal with terrorism threats made using air transport.

Anyone that is injured during an airplane journey may be liable for compensation from the airlines as dictated by their duty of care to their passengers. As mentioned earlier aviation law now also extends to security in the airports and as such can be seen to envelope a large segment of law set out to protect individuals traveling from harm and injury.

Although the security of passengers is of top priority for airlines and airport operators, the increasing number of planes and passengers means more airport security personnel have to be rushed into the job with insufficient training and experience when dealing with these important security matters. An inquiry by the FAA into the solidity of security at many of the countries airports have showed that it is these security personnel at the front-lines which have become the weak “chink” in the nation’s aviation security armor.

In addition to security at the airports, many airlines have placed plain clothed air marshals’ on-board planes to minimize the risk that passengers face if a hi-jack attempt was to occur. It should be noted that all these additional measures put up by the airlines is because of legislation put up by the FAA regarding the liability that airlines and airports will face should another terrorism act happen.

Another area of concern that has cropped up recently is “runway incursion” where an unauthorized vehicle enters the runway area of the airport causing a collision hazard with airplanes parked, landing or taking-off. These unauthorized vehicles can create huge problems and put many passengers’ lives at risk. New regulations and laws are in the process of being passed to cater for these instances.

Although terrorism threats and other less savory topics have been looked at when looking at aviation law, the basic laws which protect passengers from negligence or torts by airlines or airports are still very real. Negligence like pilot error, watch-tower error and so forth should still be considered.

In all, a professional aviation lawyer or a personal injury lawyer can still make just claims if you have been injured or suffered any injury when you were in the care of the airlines or airports.