Phoenix Private Plane Accident Attorneys
After a private plane accident, you could deal with catastrophic injuries or the death of a loved one. It’s reasonable to feel overwhelmed right now but you don’t have to stomach this challenging time alone. You could recover compensation from the liable party to avoid financial hardship.
A Phoenix private plane accident lawyer from Gallagher & Kennedy could help you hold the liable party accountable. We can build a case proving they caused the accident and owe damages. Our team can also gather evidence that you sustained the losses you claim. We aim to do everything possible to resolve your case. Contact Gallagher & Kennedy to learn more about your options.
About Private Plane Crashes
Traveling by private aircraft has become a more popular way to fly in recent years. The conception surrounding private planes is that they are more spacious, comfortable, luxurious and safe than commercial flights for business and leisure travel. Discerning individuals or business groups may choose private planes for their perceived benefits, despite the extra cost. Unfortunately, not all private planes reach their destinations.
Private planes must abide by all the same federal rules and regulations as other types of aircraft under the Federal Aviation Administration. Passengers have most of the same rights they would if traveling with major airlines – including the right to expect all involved parties to behave with reasonable care. This includes the owner of the private plane, its pilot, crew members, maintenance team, air traffic controllers, and the plane’s manufacturer. Any breach of duty by one or more of these parties could end in tragedy.
Why Choose Gallagher & Kennedy for Your Private Plane Accident Case?
After suffering injuries in a private plane accident, the last thing you want is to deal with the insurance company. Fortunately, our Phoenix private plane accident attorneys can take care of that task for you. In addition, we can take care of everything regarding your case, so all you have to do is rest and recover.
Our team has helped clients recover millions of dollars over the past few decades. With over 210 years of collective experience, we know how to secure positive outcomes for clients and their loved ones.
Other reasons to choose our firm include:
- We offer free consultations. Interested in learning about your options? You can get started with a free case review. Here, we can discuss your case and your next steps.
- We operate on a contingency-fee basis. You pay nothing upfront or out of pocket for legal help. A portion of your settlement or court award accounts for our time and efforts.
We make working with our team as straightforward as possible.
Our Lawyers in Phoenix Handle All Relevant Deadlines
Arizona has a statute of limitations in place for personal injury cases. This law outlines how long someone has to file a lawsuit. For example, if you suffered injuries in a plane crash, you generally have two years to file a lawsuit against the liable party under Arizona law. Your filing period begins from the date of the crash.
We strongly advise you to contact us as soon as possible to give us adequate time to build your case. Investigating, reviewing your damages, and negotiating a settlement takes time. We want to provide the highest-quality legal care. To do that, we need ample time to prepare.
The Deadline to File a Lawsuit for a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
If your loved one passed away in a private plane accident, we first want to extend our deepest condolences. We understand the difficulties you face after losing a loved one so suddenly. Our team can help you hold the liable party accountable for causing your loved one’s death.
Per Arizona law, you typically have two years to file a lawsuit against the liable party. The deadline for a wrongful death case starts “ticking” from the date of your loved one’s passing, not the date of the private plane accident.
Our legal team does everything in our power to support grieving families. We aim to do the same for you.
Our Lawyers Identify the Potential Liable Parties in Your Private Plane Accident
After an accident, the private plane accident attorneys serving Phoenix from Gallagher & Kennedy can investigate what happened. The information we find, such as black box data, allows us to determine fault and liability.
The negligent party in your case could include:
The Pilot
Liability could fall on the pilot if the accident resulted from their error. For example, if the pilot didn’t conduct proper preflight procedures, and an accident occurred, you could hold them responsible for the accident.
The Maintenance Crew or the Plane’s Owner
There are several scenarios where liability for the private plane crash could fall on the maintenance crew or the plane’s owner. For example, if the accident occurred because of a fuel issue, you could hold the maintenance crew accountable for the accident.
Also, if the plane’s owner hired a pilot who didn’t have the proper experience, liability could fall on the owner through vicarious liability.
An Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers have the essential job of guiding pilots to safety for their entire flight. However, liability could fall on them when they act negligently and don’t provide proper instructions, and an accident occurs.
Compensation You Could Recover After a Private Plane Accident
After a private plane accident, you could recover compensation.
Damages you could recover include:
- Medical care expenses: After a private plane crash, you could have significant injuries, including traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. These conditions could force you to acquire high medical bills. Through a claim, you could seek compensation for your past, present, and future healthcare costs.
- The income you lost: When you sustain debilitating injuries, you could have to stop working while recovering or step down from your job. Compensation for lost income could account for commissions, tips, bonuses, employee benefits, and hourly rates.
- The estimated future income you could lose: If you can never work again or in the same capacity because of your injury, you could seek compensation for your future lost income. To determine the value of that loss, our attorneys can speak to experts and use tools to identify their value.
- Physical pain: Injuries from plane crashes could likely cause you to deal with excruciating physical pain. If you experienced physical pain because of your injuries related to the private plane crash, you could seek compensation for that challenge.
- Psychological counseling: You could have post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental health complications after a plane crash. If you deal with these mental health issues, our attorneys can seek financial recovery so you can see a mental health specialist.
Whether you sustained injuries as a passenger in a private plane that crashed or as a bystander near the crash site, you could seek compensation for your damages.
Compensation You Could Recover in a Wrongful Death Claim
Private plane crashes can sadly cause fatalities. If your loved one passed away from their injuries, surviving family members could file a wrongful death claim on their behalf.
Compensable losses in these scenarios include:
- Final medical expenses if your loved one received medical care before their passing
- The costs of a funeral or celebration of life to honor your loved one
- The costs to bury or cremate your loved one
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of parental guidance and household benefits
- The decedent’s pre-death pain and suffering
- The loss of your loved one’s income
Our attorneys can advocate aggressively for you and any other surviving family members. While a settlement won’t entirely address your grief, it could offer financial assistance during this hard time.
We Learn the Cause of Your Private Plane Accident in Phoenix
Phoenix is an area where many people utilize private planes for travel. These planes can crash for various reasons. Determining the cause of the accident can help our firm identify the liable party. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lists some reasons behind private plane crashes:
Inadequate Preflight Planning
Before each flight, inspections, and plans must get made. Sometimes, on private planes, preflight planning and inspection rules aren’t quite as strict as they are on commercial flights. Therefore, mistakes could get overlooked more easily.
Proper preflight planning includes reviewing an inspection checklist and ensuring everything follows proper safety protocols and procedures. The consequences of not conducting a proper preflight inspection could result in an accident. Therefore, pilots must ensure the plane meets proper protocols before taking off. Otherwise, liability could fall on them if an accident occurs.
Pilot Error
Many private plane accidents occur because of errors the pilots make while taking off, in the air, or landing. When pilots don’t have a lot of experience, they have a higher likelihood of causing an accident.
Common causes of accidents because of pilot error include:
- Failure to maintain flying speeds
- Failure to maintain control or direction
- Improper operation of flight controls
- Failure to avoid objects
When pilots don’t anticipate issues that could arise and don’t know how to navigate them, accidents could happen.
Weather
When a plane accident occurs because of weather, that could sometimes still fall under pilot error. Pilots must check for weather conditions before taking off. When they employ proper preflight procedures, they know where to avoid bad weather patterns. Also, they could know if weather conditions make it unsafe to take off at all.
When a private plane gets into bad weather, an accident could occur. The weather could obscure the pilot’s vision, or it could damage the plane. Any damage to the plane could result in the aircraft moving downward at quick speeds.
Mechanical Errors
The plane’s owner or maintenance crews must ensure they properly maintain the aircraft. Just like with a car, maintenance crews must inspect the plane regularly, ensuring it has enough fuel and oil. Also, they must ensure the wings and other plane parts are in proper working order.
During our investigation, we can determine if the plane crash occurred because of a mechanical error. Then, we can identify why the mechanical error happened and who is liable.
Issues With Air Traffic Control
Air traffic control plays an important role in keeping planes safe before, during, and after the flight. The air traffic controller’s role includes communicating with pilots and guiding them through congested airways. They must tell them the proper speeds and altitudes to reach to ensure they don’t collide with other planes in the air. If they provide the wrong information, a plane crash could occur.
Our attorneys can review records and transcripts to determine if an air traffic controller error caused your accident.
Fuel Mismanagement
Crashes can happen if the maintenance crew or pilot in charge of the plane mismanages the fuel levels. During each preflight inspection, the person in charge of fuel must make sure the plane has enough. If not, they must refuel the plane.
Also, the person in charge of fuel must administer the right fuel type. If not, the plane could begin to malfunction while in the air, causing an accident. Our legal team can look at fuel records during our investigation to determine if a fuel issue caused the accident.
What Should I Do After a Private Plane Accident in Phoenix?
Because of the severity of plane crashes, by the time you read this, we hope you’ve sought medical attention. This may involve being hospitalized, undergoing surgery, or using assistive devices.
Some other post-accident considerations include:
- Documenting the accident. You should keep all photos and videos as they relate to the crash. Even the smallest shred of information could bolster your claim.
- Limiting your social media use. Even if your plane crash is all over the news, you shouldn’t mention the incident on social media. Anything you share online is public record, and the claims adjuster may look for any reason to discredit your case. They may peruse your photos, videos, and statuses, looking for conflicting information.
- Referring claims adjusters to your lawyer. You don’t have to answer a single phone call from the insurance company when you have us on your side. We field all phone calls, text messages, and other forms of communication. That way, you can focus on healing.
Contact a Private Plane Accident Attorney Serving Phoenix Today
Shannon L. Clark, Private Plane Accident Attorneys
You can rely on our personal injury law firm when you need a strong legal representative to build a case against the party who caused your injuries. At Gallagher & Kennedy, not only do we take care of you, we take care of your family. We understand that suffering serious injuries can strain your relationships and jeopardize your future and we want to ensure the liable party pays for your damages.
Contact us today for a free consultation with a member of our team. Dial (602) 530-8400. We encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible.
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“I wholeheartedly recommend Gallagher and Kennedy. I had the privilege of working with Shannon Clark and was impressed by his professionalism, kindness, honesty and integrity. I cant recommend him highly enough.”
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Gallagher & Kennedy — Phoenix Office
2575 E Camelback Rd, Suite 1100
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Tel: (602) 530-8400