Unfamiliar 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 readingAccording to an article in the Washington Post, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) paid a $2 million wrongful death settlement to the parents of 25 year old Southwest Airlines ramp agent Jared Dodson who was killed when the baggage tug he was steering was struck by a mobile lounge on the runway at Dulles…
Continue readingWith heightened security requirements of air travel, airline and airport employees — not to mention travelers — often must produce a copy of their birth certificate when applying for job, seeking access to “sterile areas,” or travel clearance. “While hanging on the “monkey bars” on the Dulles Airport midfield people mover busses is fun*; waiting…
Continue readingLately the news has been full of reports of near-misses and minor collisions between airplanes at our nation’s airports. Most recently, two taxiing planes clipped each other’s wings at Newark airport in New Jersey. That is why Herndon airport injury lawyer Doug Landau was encouraged to read about this summer’s safety drill conducted at Washington…
Continue readingAfter a pilot’s texting was found to contribute to a fatal helicopter crash in 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it prohibit crew members aboard commuter and on-demand service flights from using portable electronic devices for non-operational uses while the aircraft are operating. The…
Continue readingAirline passengers are accustomed to the announcement to power off all electronic devices during take-off and landing, and to set cell phones on “airplane mode” during the rest of the flight. How is it, then, that the pilot in a 2011 helicopter crash was found to have been texting during an ill-fated flight that killed…
Continue readingWhere does responsibility lie when an aircraft crashes? Weather? Pilot error? Defective Craft? Just as manufacturers of cars and trucks will try to shift the blame to the unsuspecting drivers of unsafe motor vehicles, product makers and suppliers in aircraft product liability cases often try to put the onus on the pilots. Negligent design and…
Continue readingImagine the neighbors’ shock when a small plane crashed into an apartment building in the wee hours of the morning in Herndon this summer ! The accident occurred as the pilot was making his way into Dulles for an emergency landing. The plane was running low on fuel, and its engine cut off. The convenience…
Continue readingDouglas K. Landau Visit Super Lawyers Choosing an attorney to handle an accident or injury case in or around an airport or aircraft can be a daunting task. The nuances of airport injury law are many, and the best way to select an attorney is to find someone who has experience — real, courtroom…
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