Aviation Law Monitor : Aviation Lawyer & Attorney : Michael Danko Law Firm : California Airplane & Helicopter Crashes : Aviation Law Monitor

In May, passengers aboard United Flight 935 from London to Los Angeles were injured when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence.  This time, it was the passengers aboard United Flight 967 from Dulles to Los Angeles. 26 passengers and 4 crew members were reportedly treated when the flight diverted to Denver so that the injured could get medical attention.

What is United Airline's obligation to compensate the injured?  The answer varies.

Passengers who were traveling on United Flight 967 as part of an international flight:

If a passenger originated outside the US, or was ticketed to continue on from LA to a foreign destination, the Montreal Convention applies to that particular passenger’s claim. The Montreal Convention makes the airline liable for any injuries suffered on board the aircraft due to an "accident." The definition of "accident" includes an encounter with severe turbulence. The passenger need not prove that the airline was at fault for the accident. Under the Convention, the airline is automatically liable.

As discussed here, the Convention also entitles the passengers to be compensated for the emotional distress they have suffered, but only if they suffered some sort of physical injury as well.

Passengers who were traveling domestically:

To obtain compensation for his injuries, the domestic passenger needs to prove that his injuries were due to the airline's negligence.  For example, the domestic passengers might need to prove that the flight crew could have reasonably avoided the turbulence but chose to fly too close to a storm.

Provided that the domestic passenger can prove the airline was negligent, the law allows the passenger to be compensated for emotional distress suffered even in the absence of physical injury.

Cabin Crew:

The injured cabin crew cannot sue their employer due to workers compensation laws. They may be able to proceed against others responsible for the encounter, such as the weather reporting agency used by the airline.  In appropriate circumstances, the crew members can also sue the United States government if Air Traffic Control should have advised the flight of the upcoming turbulence.
 

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At least 10 people aboard United Flight 935 were hurt when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence.  Is the airline responsible for compensating its injured passengers?

Because Flight 935 was an international flight, a treaty known as the Montreal Convention governs the passengers' claims.  The Montreal Convention makes the airline liable for any injuries suffered on board the aircraft due to an "accident."  The definition of "accident" includes an encounter with severe turbulence.  The passenger need not prove that the airline was at fault for the accident.  Under the Convention, the airline is automatically liable.

Some courts have ruled that while an airline is automatically liable for any "accident" on an international flight, its obligation to compensate an injured passenger may be reduced if the passenger himself contributed to his injury.  One issue that typically arises in turbulence cases is whether the injured passenger should have been wearing his seat belt.  In this case, it appears the seat belt sign was off and the turbulence competely unexpected, so that should not be an issue.

As discussed here, the Convention entitles the passengers to be compensated for the emotional distress they have suffered, but only if they also suffered some sort of physical injury as well.

Finally, as discussed here, the passengers are entitled to sue the airline for compensation in the United States, and in particular in California (Los Angeles or San Francisco), regardless of their citizenship or final destination. 

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A cabin suddenly fills with fumes.  Passengers get ill.  The fumes eventually clear.  But for some, the symptoms persist long after the flight is over.  Others will first develop symptoms weeks or months later, and may not even relate their symptoms to their flight.  These passengers are all the victims of what has become known as a "fume event."

Here's what happens: Airlines pump air into the cabin.  The air is a mix of fresh air and air that has been compressed by the aircraft's engines--known as "bleed air."  But when the air distribution system malfunctions, toxic chemicals found in the aircraft's engine oil can be heated and pumped through the airplane, creating a fume event.  According to the Wall Street Journal:

Airline companies and jet manufacturers say that fume events are rare, and that when they do occur, air quality still exceeds safety standards. But unions representing pilots and flight attendants say the chemicals entering the aircraft cabin can endanger the health of flight crews and passengers.

For years, the airlines denied that fume events occurred at all  Then, the airlines admitted the events occurred, but denied that they were dangerous.  But fume events appear to be happening with more and more frequency, and the airlines seem to be more willing to admit that there is a danger to the flying public.  Regardless, in March the US Senate approved a measure that would require the FAA to study cabin air quality generally and fume events in particular.

The increased focus on fume events is for the most part due to injuries that US Airways flight attendant Terry Williams suffered in April 2007.  She recently filed a lawsuit against Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft on which she was flying.  Williams is represented by Alisa Brodkowitz, a prominent aviation lawyer in Seattle, who is perhaps the nation's leading expert on fume events.

What about the passengers of American Airlines Flight 49, who were involved in a fume event today while travelling from Paris to Dallas-Forth Worth? 

Because the flight was international, the Montreal Convention applies.  The Convention requires the airlines to offer fair compensation to anyone injured as a result of an "accident."  An accident is an "unexpected or unusual event or happening" on board the aircraft that is "external to the passenger."  A fume event would likely qualify (though some airlines contend that fume events are "normal".)

The flight attendants will have a tougher go of obtaining compensation for any long lasting injuries they might have suffered.  They can't sue the airlines due to workers' compensation laws.  That means their only claim is a product defect claim against Boeing, the aircraft's manufacturer.

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Other countries severely limit compensation that may be awarded in wrongful death lawsuits arising from airline accidents.  For example, many other countries do not allow families to be compensated for loss of a loved one's "care, comfort, or society."  As a result, in almost all situations, the best venue for a family's lawsuit against an airline is the United States.

If the airline passenger's trip included an international stop, then the proper venue for the lawsuit is controlled entirely by international treaties known as the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions.  The Warsaw Convention permits the passenger (or the passenger's family) to sue in the United States, even though the accident happened on foreign soil, if and only if:

1. The passenger's ticket was issued in the United States;
2. The passenger's journey was a round trip that started in the United States or was a one-way trip that ended in the United States; 
3. The airline is incorporated in the United States; or
4. The airline's principal place of business is in the United States.

The Montreal Convention has replaced the Warsaw Convention in most situations. The Montreal Convention adds to the list what has been called a "fifth jurisdiction." Regardless of where the accident occurred, or where the passenger began or ended his trip, the international traveler or his family may sue the foreign airline in the United States if the United States was the passenger's "principal and permanent residence."  For this fifth option to be available, however, the airline must maintain some sort of presence in the United States.     

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American Airlines Flight 331 was an international flight between Miami and Kingston, Jamaica.  Because the flight was international, the airline's obligation to compensate its passengers for their injuries is governed by an international treaty known as the Montreal Convention.  Here are some of the Convention's important points, as they apply to Flight 331:

• The Airline must compensate its injured passengers as long as the crash was caused by an "accident."  The Convention defines "accident" to include any unexpected event; from an encounter with bad weather, to poor planning on the part of the pilot, to mechanical failure.  The exact cause of the accident doesn't matter.  The passenger does not need to prove that the airline was negligent, or that the airline did anything wrong at all.  The airline is automatically required to compensate any injured passenger. 
• A passenger who was physically injured is entitled to compensation for his or her emotional distress as well as for the physical injuries.  However, a passenger who was not physically injured is not entitled to compensation for emotional distress, no matter how severe the emotional distress may be. 
• American Airlines may avoid liability for amounts exceeding US$155,000 only if it proves that it was not in any way "negligent or at fault."  Experienced aviation lawyers know, however, that in a case like this, that will be impossible for the airline to prove.  Therefore, there will be no  artificial "cap" on American Airline's obligation to compensate the passengers who were physically injured in the accident. 
• To obtain fair compensation, the injured passenger may sue the airline in the United States, regardless of the passenger's citizenship.

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The families of Michael and Anne Harris, the American couple on board Air France Flight 447, filed suit this week in Houston federal court.  It's the first lawsuit arising from the crash. The most frequently asked questions about this suit are:

Question:  Aren't the families jumping the gun?  The black boxes haven't yet been recovered, and may never be.  For all we know, this may have been the result of a chance encounter with a thunderstorm.  The crash may have been an unavoidable accident with no one to blame.

Answer: The Montreal Convention is the international treaty that governs all claims against airlines involving international air travel.  Under the convention, Air France is responsible even if the the crash was "just an accident."  As a result, Air France must compensate the families for their loss regardless of what the cause of the crash turns out to be.

Question: Flight 447 was from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on a French airline.  Why should the families be allowed to sue in Houston, of all places?

Answer: The Montreal Convention allows the families to sue in the country of the passenger's "principal and permanent" residence.  The families say that, though the couple was living in Brazil, the couple maintained a permanent residence in The Woodlands, a suburb of Houston.  If that's so, the families are entitled to sue in Houston.

Question: Why did the families file suit in federal court, rather than state court?

Answer: Many aviation lawyers believe that state courts are more favorable than federal courts for family members who have suffered a loss.  So victims' attorneys often prefer to sue in state court.  However, a fairly new federal statute requires almost all cases arising from large air disasters to be heard in federal court.

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The victim of an airplane or helicopter accident must act on his rights or lose them forever.  That means the victim must file a lawsuit by the appropriate deadline.  In some cases, the victim must first file a special claim form with the right governmental agency.  If he fails to do so on time, or files it with the wrong agency, he willl not be permitted to later sue the government agency that is responsible for his injuries.

The deadlines vary according to the type of claim as well as other factors. A victim should consult an aviation lawyer to determine which deadline applies.  Some of the more common deadlines that may apply in California cases:

• Cases involving International Air Travel (Warsaw and Montreal Conventions)  - Lawsuit must be filed within 2 years of date of accident.
• Cases against California Governmental Entities (such as those involving municipal airports) - Victim must file a special governmental Claim Form (pdf) within 6 months of accident or no lawsuit is thereafter allowed; lawsuit must be filed no later than 6 months after the governmental agency rejects the claim.
• Cases alleging negligence or products liability (including design defect)  - Lawsuit must be filed within 2 years of accident.
• Cases against the Federal Government (such as those involving weather reporting or air traffic control errors) - Victim must file a special Federal Tort Claims Act Claim Form (pdf)  within 2 years of accident or injury; suit must be filed no later than 6 months after government rejects the claim.
• Cases against EMS Helicopter/Air Ambulance Operators, if MICRA applies - Lawuit must be filed within 3 years of accident; other pre-filing requirements may apply.  Otherwise, lawsuit must be filed within 2 years of accident.
• Claims against the estate of someone who caused the accident but who has since died are often subject to shorter statutes of limitations than set forth above.  Some deadlines are as short as 6 months.

Additional deadline:

• Cases against aircraft manufacturer - (including those alleging design defect) -  No lawsuit allowed if accident occurred more than 18 years after date of manufacturer of aircraft of part causing the injury, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the General Aviation Revitalization Act. 

Some deadlines are extended under special circumstances, such as when the victim is a child.  On the other hand, some deadlines, like the 2- year Warsaw Convention deadline, are not extended for any reason.

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Are the passengers’ families entitled to compensation for their loss? From whom? Does it matter what caused the crash? Can the families sue in the United States?

Air France is Responsible Regardless of the Cause of the Accident. 

The Montreal Convention requires Air France to compensate the families as long as the crash was caused by an accident.  The Convention defines "accident" to include any unexpected event, from an encounter with severe weather, to mechanical failure, to a terrorist attack.

Air France must compensate each passenger's family:  

• For all recoverable damages suffered up to $155,000; and
• For all recoverable damages suffered in excess of $155,000, unless Air France proves it was not in any way “negligent or otherwise at fault."

In addition, Air France must advance $25,000 to cover each family’s “immediate economic needs” within 15 days of identifying who the proper claimants are. The $25,000 payment is credited against Air France’s ultimate obligation to the family.  

As a practical matter, Air France will be liable for all legally recoverable damages without regard to the $155,000 limit. That’s because to avoid liability, Air France has to prove a negative -- that it was not in any way “negligent or at fault.” Regardless of whether it is ultimately determined that the crash was caused by weather, equipment failure, or even terrorism, Air France will not be able to demonstrate that its own negligence did not somehow contribute to the accident.  There are just too many possibilities for Air France to disprove.

The Final Amount of Compensation to Which a Family is Entitled Depends upon Where the Particular Family may Sue.

U.S. law is most favorable for the families, as the laws of other countries severely limit compensation in wrongful death cases. For example, unlike the United States, many countries do not allow families to be compensated for loss of a loved one's "care, comfort, or society."  But the Montreal Convention will permit a family to sue Air France in the U.S. only if: 

1. The United States was the passenger’s ultimate destination, or
2. The passenger’s ticket was issued in the United States, or
3. The passenger’s “principal and permanent residence” was in the United States.

The first two grounds are relatively straightforward. The passenger's travel documents will determine whether the family meets the applicable requirement. The third ground, however, might well be hotly contested in at least some of the families' cases. For example, two Flight 447 passengers were U.S. citizens from Texas who were living in Brazil. But was the U.S. their "principal and permanent" residence? That may depend upon whether they intended to return to their home in Texas and, if so, when. These details may need to be litigated.

Compensation from the Manufacturers.

If the crash was caused by a product defect – such as a problem with the Airbus' weather radar, its flight control system, or a pitot tube -- then the families would be entitled to pursue a product liability claim. Many of the Airbus' components parts are manufactured by U.S. companies.  If  a U.S. manufacturer was responsible for the defect, the families would be permitted to sue the manufacturer here, even if the Montreal Convention did not allow them to sue Air France here.  A family that successfully sues in the United States may be compensated under U.S. law rather than the more restrictive foreign laws. 

Forum Non Conveniens is an Obstacle to Suing Manufacturers in the U.S.

The doctrine of forum non conveniens allows a U.S. court to decline jurisdiction and transfer a case to a foreign country if it decides that, all things considered, the foreign court would be more convenient for all involved.  U.S. courts frequently invoke the doctrine to avoid hearing cases involving foreign aviation accidents. Flight 447 may be one case, however, that a U.S. court may well decide to hear.  After all, the U.S. would be most convenient for the manufacturers because their engineers, their engineering documents and test data are undoubtedly here. There are no eyewitnesses to the accident who would need to be inconvenienced by traveling to the U.S. from abroad to testify. Finally, unlike disasters occurring on foreign soil, it makes no sense to have the case heard near the crash site because there is nothing at the crash site for any judge or jury to see.    

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Some Flight 1549 passengers have reportedly "lawyered-up."  What legal claims do they have?  Putting aside the question of whether pursuing the claims is the right thing to do -- some say they should simply count their blessings -- do the passengers have any claims to begin with?

Well, it depends on the law that applies.  For example, under California law, a passenger would first have to show that the accident was caused by the airline's negligence.  From what is known so far, that seems unlikely. If, however, the passenger succeeds in proving negligence, he would be entitled to compensation for any physical injuries he sustained as well as compensation for the emotional distress he suffered. 

What if the passenger suffered just emotional distress and no physical injuries? Again using  California law as an example, if the airline was negligent, the passenger could recover for the emotional distress, as long as that the emotional distress was "serious."  (Not much question about that.)

What if the passenger had a foreign destination listed someplace on his itinerary?  That would change everything. Even though the flight was domestic, the Montreal Convention, an international treaty governing airline liability, would trump state law.  The passenger would not need to prove the airline was negligent to recover.  It is enough that a passenger's injuries were the result of an "accident."  The airline would be automatically liable. But under the Convention, the passenger would not be entitled to compensation for mental injuries, regardless of how "serious", unless he also suffered at least some physical injury.

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An airline's liability for a passenger's injury or death is most often determined by state law. But if the passenger's trip includes a stop in a foreign country, then the airline's liability is controlled entirely by international treaties.  The treaties are known as the Warsaw Convention and the Montreal Convention. 

The treaties also govern a passenger's claims for injuries occurring on a domestic flight, as long as a foreign destination was on the passenger's itinerary.  That means that state law may govern the claims of one victim of an airline disaster, while a treaty may govern the claims of his friend in the very next seat.  Because different law applies, one victim (or his family) might be entitled to compensation from the airline, and the other not.

Which is more favorable for the victim -- state law or the treaties? It depends on the circumstances of the case. For example, if state law applies, to successfully sue an airline, the passenger must prove that the injury occurred because the airline was "negligent" or, in other words, "careless".  But if a treaty applies, the passenger need not prove the airline was negligent at all. If a treaty applies, the passenger need only prove that his injuries were the result of an "accident." 

What if a flight attendant accidently pours hot coffee on you and you are seriously burned?  Under state law, you could recover from the airline, if you prove the flight attendant was careless.  Of course, if the flight attendant splashed you on purpose, you would be entitled to compensation as well.  But what  if the treaties apply? Can the flight attendant's intentional act be considered an "accident"?  Courts have struggled with this sort of question, and offer no clear-cut answer. 

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Text of Warsaw Convention here. (pdf)

Text of Montreal Convention here. (pdf)

List of countries which have signed on to Montreal Convention here. (pdf)  [updated December 2009]

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