Case Type: Airplane & Boating Accidents

Soon after initiation of a lawsuit bringing negligence claims under general maritime law as well as the Jones Act, SUGARMAN attorneys were able to settle the claim of a long-time marine vessel steward who suffered a severe patellar fracture requiring surgical repair followed by a total knee replacement. The steward had slipped on untreated ice on the deck of a vessel after arriving at work early in the morning.

Settlement reached for a seaman who was washed overboard by a large wave while fishing on George’s Bank. The Captain’s failure to properly monitor changing weather conditions provided enough for recovery under the Jones Act.

Settlement in product liability suit for a Logan Airport airline worker who sustained crush injuries to his pelvis and hip when the safety rails on a cargo loader failed to activate, allowing a 1,500 lb. pallet to fall on top of the worker.

SUGARMAN has long litigated cases involving airplane and boating accidents. Because of the nature of the equipment and speeds involved, these lawsuits usually involve catastrophic injuries and untimely deaths. These accidents are thankfully rare, but they do occur. And, of course, these cases are not limited to crashes and other disasters. Injuries to passengers can occur inside the plane or vessel, and during boarding.

The Court ruled that the United States can be held liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act for failure to issue a traffic advisory. The trial that followed resulted in a jury award to SUGARMAN’s client for a below-the-knee amputation suffered by a student pilot in a mid-air collision.