After Personal Injury at an Airport

Key Takeaways

• Airport accidents can happen in parking lots, terminals, stores, food courts, or on moving walkways.
• Airport injuries may include broken bones, head injuries, back injuries, or traumatic brain injuries.
• Liability depends on who was negligent and more than one party may be responsible.
• Property owners must keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors.
• Security footage may help show whether a known hazard caused the accident.

When most people think of things that could go wrong at an airport, they think of lost luggage, security checkpoint slowdowns or missed flights. Sometimes though what goes wrong doesn’t just mess up a vacation, it disrupts lives. If you were hurt in an airport accident, you might be wondering who is to blame and what your options for compensation are.

Airport Accident Types

Most airports are massive, like small cities, with lots of places accidents can occur. Here are just a handful of airport accident types.

• Parking lot accidents – anywhere vehicles are present, there’s the possibility of traffic or pedestrian accidents. At airports, drivers are more likely to be distracted, in a rush or confused by unfamiliar traffic patterns.
• Food court accidents – Hot food can cause burns. Spilled liquids can cause slip and fall injuries.
• Retail store accidents – Travelers may step in a store to grab last minute items or kill time while waiting for a flight, then get hurt because of dangerous conditions inside.
• Baggage claim malfunctions – Travelers might be injured reaching for their luggage if the equipment has a glitch or if entry and exit walkways aren’t maintained.
• Escalator or moving walkway accidents – Stepping on and off can be hazardous, especially if there are uneven or slippery surfaces or if the equipment malfunctions.
• Terminal injuries – Obstructed walkways or slick surfaces can lead to accidents.

When travelers get hurt they might experience cuts, bruises, broken bones, head injuries, back injuries, traumatic brain injuries or other forms of trauma. Life can change in an instant, turning a trip to the airport into a trip to the hospital.

Who is Liable for Airport Accidents?

If you have an accident because of someone else’s negligence, who should pay your doctor bills? Is it the airline or the airport? The restaurant or the food court? An individual vendor or the entity that rents them their space?

It depends, and in some cases more than one person or entity might be responsible. Property and building owners are responsible for making sure their space is safe for patrons and guests. When accidents happen because of negligence or oversight, the responsible party or parties should pay to make things right.

One of the many upsides to airport security is often there’s photo or video footage that shows common areas. If a manager, staff member, business or restaurant owner or other worker knew about a danger and didn’t take steps to remove it and/or warn the public about it, they could be found negligent. But the process can be complicated, so you’ll probably need an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Monsour Law Firm attorneys have extensive experience fighting for residents of Tyler and Longview TX and Shreveport Louisiana. If you have questions about your personal injury claim, schedule your free consultation online today.