The Airport injury team at Abrams Landau Ltd. is currently representing an elderly woman who sustained a serious fracture as a result of the unsafe operation of the wheelchair by the international airport attendant. Traveling with her daughter, this woman was being pushed in a wheelchair to the TSA screen checkpoint. She was told to get out of the chair, as she is able to walk a bit, however, the wheelchair attendant did not lock the wheel brakes, so that when the traveler got up to approach the officer who would be wanting and frisking her, the wheelchair shot out behind her, and she fell to the hard floor, breaking her arm. 

Because the injured victims daughter got in touch with ABRAMS LANDAU immediately after this preventable incident, Doug Landau and experienced Airport injury paralegal Kristin Tanzi were able to review the actual surveillance footage. It shows that the elderly traveler was following the instructions of the wheelchair attendant. While the airport authority was put on immediate notice as to the happening of this injury, producing event, the they would not likely be held responsible for the harms and losses. This is because the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, Parran, MWAA, quotes per M has a leasing use agreement, and contract with all of the contractors and vendors on the airport premises. That basically states that these other companies have to provide the defense, pay a verdict, and satisfy judgments for injuries caused at Washington Dulles  International Airport (“IAD”) and Reagan National Airport (“DCA”).

This particular incident would not be the responsibility of TSA either. The TSA agents had nothing to do with locking the wheelchair, they do not own the wheelchair, and they were standing by ready to wand and frisk the woman after the wheelchair attendant got her up and out. To Doug Landau, it appears to be a strong case of liability, as this vulnerable traveler, was in the hands of they supposed specialist who we would hope had training with regard to helping elderly passengers get in and out of wheelchairs, locking wheelchairs for safe D, and securing wheelchairs inside the highly unstable mobile lounges that transfer passengers at busy Washington, Dulles, International Airport, to and from the midfield terminals to the main terminal.

This is not the Abrams Landau teams first wheelchair injury case. They have successfully represented people thrown from wheelchairs win a joint in the jet bridge was struck at high speed, where’s a traveler with a walking/rolling cast support system was thrown down in one of the subway trains at Dulles, and where flight wheelchair attendance ran and stopped suddenly ejecting grandma 

Lawyer Land out notes, “With the enormous volume of passengers at Washington Dulles International Airport, I can only imagine that we will continue to see these cases. Evidence then suggest that the wheelchair attendance are some of the lowest paid employees on the premises. In addition, they are often times language, barrier issues, has to make flights, heavier than expected passengers, and increased airport security protocols. Kristen and I review many films each year of potential cases. We take very few cases, as only those that have a supportable case of negligence and significant permanent injury makes sense for us to take on. This is because we don’t take on cases unless we are willing to try them, and to try an airport injury case requires a significant investment of time, effort, assets, and money. Most law firms don’t do this, as they are simply looking for a quick settlements, and do not take the time and resources to investigate the liability aspect of the case, or do a thorough review of their own clients prior medical records. With our experience helping prior passengers, and our continued representation of Airport employees, and those who work for contractors on the airport premises, we bring a unique perspective and arsenal to assist those who reach out for our help.