Since their invention approximately one century ago, airplanes have become a very popular way to travel, especially when traveling overseas. According to the International Air Transport Association, billions of people fly in an airplane annually, which makes it one of the most widely-used forms of transportation in the world. Airplanes offer a fast, relatively affordable way to get from one destination to another, so their popularity is understandable.
But just like any other form of transportation, airplanes can be very dangerous. Aircraft fly at altitudes of about 30,000 feet, and travel at speeds of about 500 mph. This means that if anything goes wrong during the flight, the passengers of the airplane are going to suffer a very long drop towards an impact with the ground or ocean at speeds that dwarf the fastest car collisions.
The danger involved with plane crashes emphasizes the importance of extreme care and attention to detail on the part of everyone involved with the plane- the designers, mechanics, pilots, etc. Pilots should be especially cautious, since, according to one study, pilot error is the cause of more than half of all plane crashes.
Even though plane crashes are almost never the fault of the passengers (except, perhaps, in the case of terrorist hijackings), passengers that survive a crash, or the family members of passengers that don’t, are almost always undercompensated. According to the Rand Corporation, the average compensation that plane crash victims receive is about $300,000 a person.This may seem like a lot, but it is only about half of the amount that is calculated for the economic loss of life, and these figures don’t even factor in emotional or psychological anguish.
We need to make sure that airline companies protect our family members, and take our safety seriously. We have no other control over the safety procedures involved in flight than to hold the experts accountable. If you have a loved one that has recently perished in a plane or helicopter accident, please seek legal help immediately. The amount of time you wait to seek legal compensation may determine how much compensation you receive.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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