Helpful hints on finding an aviation accident attorney
Aviation law relates to legal issues surrounding accidents and incidents involving commercial airliners, military aircraft, and civilian aircraft. Many aviation accidents and incidents occur as a result of air traffic controller negligence, maintenance or repair negligence, pilot error, defectively designed aircraft and/or a combination of these factors. Aviation law can be complex as it is a mixture of product liability law and various state, federal and foreign laws.
If you or someone you know has been injured or even suffered wrongful death by an aviation accident, you understand how devastating the loss can be. Being compensated for the pain and suffering, medical costs, loss of companionship and loss of income is important for the recovery and healing process. A lot can be at stake when seeking compensation, so selecting the right aviation attorney is vital.
If you or someone you know has been harmed in an aviation accident and are looking for an attorney to consult with regarding potential claims, there is a general process that you will go through. First, your case will be evaluated, both by the attorney/law firm and their medical and aviation resources. The attorney and team will collect information about your incident, the potential causes of the incident, and your physical condition both before and after the aviation accident.
The vast majority of aviation attorneys will take your case on a contingency basis, which means that they are only paid if there is an out-of-court settlement or an award through a lawsuit (no out-of-pocket costs for you). If the suit is not successful, then the attorneys earn no fee. During this time of the legal proceedings, there will be thousands of dollars in costs associated with preparing for the trial, such as travel, hiring expert medical and aviation witnesses, depositions, etc. Since the aviation attorney who represents you pays for the costs that are associated with the preparation and trial, they will be evaluating your case as to whether it is likely they will get paid back for their time and money.
Just like the aviation attorney will be evaluating your case to determine if it is worth pursuing for him or her, you should keep in mind that you represent a potential investment to the aviation attorney, and you should be diligent in evaluating him or her as to whether they're the best representation for you. As the common phrase goes, "the best predictor of future results is past behavior", so the track record of the aviation attorney is probably the single best indicator of your likely success.
Successful aviation attorneys with a proven track record likely have a network of aviation and medical resources to analyze the accident; they likely recommend filing individually as opposed to putting their clients into a class action suit; and they likely have a network of local attorneys already in place to assist in the case (if needed).
Make sure you find out how many cases the attorney and/or firm has handled, how many of these cases were settled versus how many went to trial, what were the results of each case, and if they intend to handle the case personally or 'refer it out' and get part of the settlement in exchange.
Beyond these questions, make sure you understand how the claims process will work, what your role will be in terms of your requirements, what their strategy will be, how funds awarded (if any) will be disbursed to you, and how you will communicate with the attorney. Speaking with more than one aviation attorney about your case will give you perspective and a way of comparing your options. Again, you represent a potentially significant financial reward for the attorney that takes your case, so do your 'due diligence' in finding the right one for you.
In conclusion, we hope you have found the information we have put together for you useful. We recognize that this guide was in no way exhaustive, and that there is much more to aviation attorneys than what is included here. We suggest that you use the information in this guide as a starting point in your search for the right aviation attorney for you.
Notice: We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site, nor do we guarantee or warranty the quality of the work produced by any of our sponsors. The determination of the need for legal services and the choice of an attorney are extremely important decisions and should not be based solely upon advertisements or self-proclaimed expertise. All potential clients are urged to make their own independent investigation and evaluation of any attorney being considered, and nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent legal and/or medical advice. We do not endorse any aviation attorney or law firm.
