What to Know About Airport Accident Claims in San Antonio, Texas

September 22, 2023 | Personal Injury

What to Know About Airport Accident Claims in San Antonio, Texas

Tens of thousands of passengers fly in and out of the San Antonio International Airport every single day. Given this scale of traffic, it’s not surprising that accidents are common. Because the San Antonio International Airport is a public entity, filing a personal injury claim generates certain special requirements.   

Common Causes of Airport Accidents

Airport accidents occur for any number of different reasons, including (but not limited to): 

  • Airport employee negligence: Poor maintenance or improper operation of machinery
  • Negligent security: In airport parking lots, for example
  • Restaurant accidents
  • Vehicle collisions (trams, etc.)
  • Slip and fall accidents caused by spills, poor lighting, malfunctioning escalators, etc.
  • Workplace accidents suffered by airport staff and contractors
  • Defective equipment

The types of personal injuries suffered in these accidents are just as numerous and varied as personal injury accidents suffered in other environments. 

Steps to Take After an Airport Accident

Generally speaking, you should take the following steps after an airport accident, to the extent that your physical condition allows:

  • Contact the airport police and summon them to the scene of the accident
  • Notify airport management of the accident
  • Obtain the contact details of any witnesses to the accident (you can use your cell phone to copy ID cards)
  • Take photos of your injuries, the condition that caused the accident (a malfunctioning escalator, for example), and any other relevant evidence
  • Seek immediate medical treatment

Contact a San Antonio injury attorney as soon as you can. 

Filing a Personal Injury Claim Against the San Antonio International Airport

The San Antonio International Airport is owned and operated by the City of San Antonio. Since Texas cities are subdivisions of the state of Texas, suing the San Antonio International Airport means suing a subdivision of the Texas state government. As such, you must comply with the terms of the Texas Tort Claims Act. 

How to File a Personal Injury Claim Against the City of San Antonio

Before you can file a lawsuit against the City of San Antonio, you must first file a Notice of Claim with the San Antonio City Clerk’s Office. Since this is a government tort claim against San Antonio, you have only 90 days after the date of the accident to submit your notice.

The Notice of Claim should include the following information:

  • Your contact information, including your email address
  • A description of where, when, and how the damage or injury occurred
  • The names and addresses of other parties to the accident and any witnesses, if you have this information
  • A description of the exact location of the accident (where in the airport, for example)
  • The police case number (if you have it)
  • A total dollar amount for your claim if you have calculated it (consult your lawyer about this)

Allow ten working days for a response. If the city denies your claim, or if it simply ignores you for ten working days (typically two weeks of elapsed time), you may be entitled to file a lawsuit.

What You Have to Prove to Win a San Antonio Airport Accident Case

To win a personal injury claim against the San Antonio International Airport, you must prove the following legal elements of your claim, in addition to complying with the above-described procedural requirements:

  • The airport owed you a duty of care. This is easy to establish unless, say, you were trespassing at the time of the accident.
  • The airport breached its duty of care. Here, you want to point to the cause of the accident. Typically (but not always), it involves misconduct by an airport employee.
  • You suffered an injury. You must prove every dime of compensation you claim.
  • Your injury would not have happened but for the airport’s breach of duty.
  • Your injuries were a foreseeable consequence of the airport’s breach of duty.

You must prove all of the foregoing facts on a “more likely than not” basis. 

You Will Need a San Antonio Personal Injury Attorney to File a Claim Against the Airport

Filing a claim against a government entity, whether or not it ends up in court, involves complications that render the help of a San Antonio personal injury lawyer essential. The earlier in your claim that you involve a lawyer, the better your results are likely to be.

Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in San Antonio, TX

If you’ve been injured in an accident in San Antonio, Texas, and need legal help, contact our San Antonio personal injury lawyers at George Salinas Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.

George Salinas Injury Lawyers
6243 I-10 Ste. 955, San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 225-0909
https://www.salinastriallaw.com/