Were you recently involved in an aviation accident in San Antonio, TX? You may be able to recover compensation for your injuries and other losses.
Aviation and airplane accident claims in San Antonio, Texas, involve specific procedures and regulations. You should consult an experienced San Antonio aviation and airplane accident lawyer if you’ve been injured in one of these accidents.
Contact our seasoned San Antonio aviation/airplane accident attorney to discuss your case in more detail. Your first consultation with George Salinas Injury Lawyers is free of charge. Call our office at (210) 225-0909 or contact us online.
How George Salinas Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Aviation Accident in San Antonio
Our San Antonio personal injury attorneys have the experience you need to fight for the compensation you deserve. We have over 110 years of combined experience in personal injury law and have recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for our injured clients.
Our highly skilled personal injury lawyers have received the following recognitions for their work on behalf of injured clients:
- Texas Super Lawyer three years in a row
- Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyer Magazine
- Top 10 Texas Jury Verdict on Top Verdict
- Top 100 US Jury Verdict on Verdict Search
- Texas Lawyer’s Southwest Top Verdicts & Settlements Award
- Top 10 Personal Injury Settlements in Texas
- Top 10 Premises Liability Settlements in Texas
- Top 20 Motor Vehicle Accidents Settlements in Texas on Top Verdict
We know what it takes to handle your case and seek compensation for all of your accident-related injuries.
George Salinas Injury Lawyers will take the following specific steps in your aviation accident case:
- Listen to your story and review your case
- Investigate the accident further
- Identify all of the at-fault parties
- Assess the extent of your damages
- Gather evidence to support your claims
- Contact the insurance providers and at-fault parties on your behalf
- Try to negotiate a favorable settlement
- Take your case to court if a favorable settlement can’t be reached
If you’ve been injured in an aviation accident in San Antonio, TX, reach out to our office to discuss your case with our San Antonio aviation/airplane accident lawyers.
What Is My San Antonio Aviation/Airplane Accident Case Worth?
There’s no simple formula for calculating the value of an aviation or airplane accident case. Several factors will influence what your case may be worth, including:
- The extent of your injuries
- The amount of property damage incurred
- The amount of your missed wages
- The extent of non-economic damages you suffered, such as diminished quality of life
- Whether you were partially at fault in the accident
- The relevant insurance policy limits
It’s impossible to pinpoint what your case may be worth without reviewing the specific facts of your case. Our experienced San Antonio aviation accident lawyers will review your case and explain how these factors influence the value of your claim.
How Common Are Aviation or Airplane Accidents?
Aviation accidents are not that common, but they do occur. Commercial aviation is significantly safer than general aviation, which is likely because commercial aviation is heavily regulated.
In 2020, the United States had 1,157 total general aviation accidents. There were 221 serious injuries and 344 fatalities caused by general aviation accidents in 2020.
What are the Causes of Aviation or Airplane Accidents?
The leading cause of general aviation accidents is pilot error.
Other causes of aviation or airplane accidents include:
- Mistakes by crew members
- Aircraft maintenance failures
- Air traffic controller errors
- Weather conditions
- Airplane design defects
- Fuel management issues
Many of these causes are related to human error. If you were injured in an airplane accident due to someone else’s negligence, reach out to an experienced San Antonio aviation accident lawyer to discuss your case.
What Kind of Damages Are Available to Aviation Accident Victims?
If you were injured in an aviation accident in Texas due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation. Damages can be divided into two types: economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages relate to the direct financial impacts of the accident, including:
- Medical costs incurred
- Future medical costs or rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Other out-of-pocket expenses
Economic damages are usually straightforward to calculate because they can be documented or verified. These calculations can still be complex if you aren’t familiar with personal injury or aviation claims. Our experienced aviation accident lawyers can assess the extent of your damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages relate to the emotional or psychological impacts of the accident, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Disability and its related impacts
Non-economic damages are intangible, making them harder to calculate precisely. An experienced aviation accident lawyer will be instrumental in calculating these damages if they are available in your case.
How Much Does Hiring an Aviation Accident Lawyer in San Antonio cost?
Personal injury lawyers—including those that handle aviation accident cases, like us—typically get paid on a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee is collected at the end of the case if the attorney successfully recovers compensation on your behalf. The attorney will not get paid if the client does not recover compensation.
The contingency fee is usually a percentage of the ultimate financial award in the case. Personal injury lawyers often charge between 33% and 40%. Your attorney will explain this fee and any other costs you may be responsible for.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for an Aviation Accident in Texas?
You might be able to recover compensation in Texas if you were partly at fault in an accident, but it depends. Texas has a “modified comparative negligence” law, which states that a personal injury claimant cannot recover compensation if their responsibility in the accident is greater than 50%.
If you’re being blamed for an accident and your percentage of fault is 50% or less, you can still recover compensation. However, it will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault.
To illustrate, imagine that you’ve been injured in an aviation accident because an attendant put the wrong fuel type in your airplane. Imagine further that your fuel-type sticker was missing on one side of the aircraft, though it was present on the other side.
You may both be apportioned some fault in the accident. If you suffered $100,000 in damages and were found to be 10% at fault, you could recover up to 90% of your damages—or $90,000.
How Do I Prove Negligence After an Aviation Accident in San Antonio, TX?
The basis of many aviation accident claims will be that the defendant was negligent. To be negligent means failing to act the way a reasonably prudent person would in the same or similar circumstances.
To succeed in proving negligence, you must establish the following four elements:
- Duty of care. The defendant owed you a duty of care, which is a legal obligation to adhere to a certain standard of conduct toward others.
- Breach. The defendant breached or violated their duty of care.
- Causation. The defendant was the actual and legal cause of the accident and injuries.
- Damages. You suffered injuries or other harm, for which you can be compensated.
You must prove each of these four elements “by a preponderance of the evidence.” This means you must present sufficient evidence to convince the jury that it is more likely than not that a fact being asserted is true.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After an Aviation Accident in Texas?
In Texas, you have two years after the date of an aviation accident to file a lawsuit. This deadline for filing your case is called the statute of limitations and applies to wrongful death lawsuits, too. Unless you fall within a rare exception, you will not be able to file your case in court if you miss the two-year deadline.
There’s a good chance that your case will settle during negotiations before it is filed in court. However, it’s important that you are aware of the deadline to file your case, as filing a lawsuit can be an essential strategic tool in personal injury claims.
Our seasoned San Antonio aviation accident attorneys will calculate the deadline for filing your case and ensure that it is filed on time, if necessary.
Contact Our San Antonion Aviation Accident Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Aviation accidents are rare, but they can cause devastating consequences when they happen. Our experienced San Antonio aviation/airplane accident attorneys are here to handle your case and fight for you to receive full compensation for your losses. Contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation with one of our San Antonio personal injury lawyers.
