Air-traffic controllers have plenty to do safely coordinating arriving and departing aircraft, as well as vehicles on the airport operations area. With the surge in the numbers of these small, unmanned aircraft being used in American air space, their jobs, and those of pilots and other airline personnel, have become exponentially more difficult and dangerous.…
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Frequently airline employees who have been injured on the “Airport Operations Area” mistakenly believe that if they report an accident to their employer, or their employer’s insurance company, that they are “covered” under the Virginia workers Compensation Act. Unfortunately, this is not always true. While Virginia law requires that prompt “Notice” be given to the…
Continue readingThe Airport Operations Area (“AOA”) at major airports is usually bustling with jets, prop planes, trucks, tugs and electric vehicles. When collisions between airport vehicles and workers on foot occur on the AOA, a workers compensation claim usually arises if there is an injury and disability from work. However, the state comp claim does NOT…
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When a construction worker is injured while working at Dulles International or Reagan National Airport, questions arise as to who can investigate, and who is ultimately responsible to pay for the losses. Who Can Investigate Airport Construction Accidents? In construction site accidents away from these airports, the local police, buildings inspector, OSHA (Occupational Safety and…
Continue readingUnfamiliar terrain, distractions, ever-changing signs, and uneven jetways present dangers to even the most careful airport travelers. However tripping or slipping in the terminal, in the jetway, or on the airport operations area (AOA”) does not necessarily mean the airport authority or airline is responsible for the injuries sustained. For an injured airline traveler to…
Continue readingWhile workers’ compensation is considered a “no-fault” system, there are instances where the culpability of the injured worker is examined. In airport injury cases, normally the negligence of the injured worker is often not an issue. Intentionally inflicted injuries are a topic for another day. A flight attendant or ground crew member can be clumsy…
Continue readingRecently, National Public Radio (NPR) published a news series condemning changes in our country’s workers’ comp system which have made it increasingly difficult for injured workers, including airline pilots, flight crew, grounds crew, tug drivers, airport skycaps and other airport workers, to collect the benefits to which they are entitled. Click here to read our…
Continue readingAt most international airports, including the three major airports in the Washington DC Metro area — Baltimore Washington International Airport (“BWI”), Dulles International Airport (“IAD”), and Reagan National Airport (“WAS”) — there is a ticketing and points system for drivers on the “airport operations area” (AOA) just like on the roads and interstate highways. However,…
Continue readingIf you work for an airport or airline, what happens if you are injured on the job? Will the airline’s or airport’s workers’ comp policy provide you the necessary protections? Will you seamlessly apply for and be approved to receive workers’ compensation benefits? According to an article published by National Public Radio (NPR), the answer…
Continue readingAirline pilots or captains injured during the preflight inspection are entitled to Workers’ Compensation benefits. Even though the airline employee has not yet started “flying” the jet, the preflight inspection is part of the required duties. An injury “in the course and scope” of the job can be compensated if there is an injury causing…
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