Airline Accident and Injury Claims

Aeroplane accidents can cause anything from a minor to severe physical injury. They can also have an effect on your mental wellbeing if you’ve had quite a traumatic experience.

Generally, some of the most common airline accidents include:

• Injuries from items falling from overhead lockers
• Injuries caused by the back of a seat collapsing
• Burns and scalds from hot food or drinks being served or a slip caused by a spilt drink
• Allergic reactions or food poisoning from the food service
• An air crash
• A collision on the runway
• Unexpected heavy landings
• Injuries inflicted by other passengers

Lots of unexpected injuries can happen on flights that are not considered an airline accident by law. 

Some examples are:

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) caused by in-flight immobility
• A perforated ear drum caused by normal decompression
• An allergic reaction to insect spray
• Seat belt injury caused by the ordinary process of deceleration on landing

We understand that every situation is different and we’ll always tailor our legal advice and support to your personal circumstances.

The Montreal Convention is a set of regulations that state that an airline is responsible if a passenger suffers an accident or injury on one of their flights. This doesn’t just cover accidents taking place on board the aircraft, but also any accident you have while embarking or disembarking the aircraft.

The convention applies to any country that has signed up to it, which includes the UK and European Union.

Some of the airlines who fly to countries signed up to the Montreal Convention include:

• Aegean Airlines
• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Air India
• Air Malta
• Air Mauritius
• Air Namibia
• Air New Zealand
• Alitalia
• American Airlines
• Atlantic Airways
• Austrian Airways
• British Airways
• Bulgaria Air
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Croatia Airlines
• EasyJet
• Egyptair
• Emirates
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• Jet2
• KLM
• Lufthansa
• Olympic Airlines
• Qantas Airways
• Ryanair
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• TUI
• Tunisair
• Turkish Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

You have exactly 2 years from the date the accident took place to make your claim. Ideally, it’s best to get legal advice as soon as you can after the accident.

How long the compensation process takes will depend on a few things:

• How serious your injuries are
• Whether the airline accepts responsibility or not

Our Holiday Claims Solicitors can give you an idea of how long the claim might take and will advise you on your best course of action. Even if your case is more complicated, our Solicitors will aim to help you claim your compensation as quickly as possible.

The amount of compensation you can claim will depend on the nature of your injuries and how long it’s going to take you to recover. We’ll discuss your situation with you and help you get the best possible outcome. We can also help you claim money back for any earnings you’ve lost because of your injury, and to cover the cost of any medical treatment or rehabilitation you need.

As long as you’re a UK resident who flew with an airline under the Montreal Convention, you’re eligible to make a compensation claim if there’s a case. If the airline you travelled with has an office in the UK, then this will also support your claim.

The first thing you should do when you’re back home from your holiday is get in touch with a Holiday Claims Solicitor. They’ll be able to assess your situation and let you know if you’ve got a strong case.