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Injured while travelling on an airplane

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Last Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Read Time: 3 mins

Your Rights as an Airline Passenger

For so many, just the thought of air travel is stressful. Imagine after getting up the nerve to fly, there is some turbulence and an overhead compartment that was not secure comes open and a piece of luggage falls on your head. Unlikely? Probably, but not unheard of. As a result of getting hit in the head you have to go to the hospital to check out your injury. Because of the time spent at the emergency room, you missed a very important meeting, or your cruise sailed without you, or you missed a connecting flight. What recourse do you have?

If you have questions about your rights as a passenger and how to make sure the airline is held responsible for their negligence, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Also contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to report your issue.

In-flight injuries do not happen very often, depending upon how the accident happened will determine if you have any legal claims available to you.

Most of the in-flight accidents occur when luggage falls from the overhead bins. Injuries from rolling food carts are not all that uncommon either. The cart can run into passengers arms or shoulders as they roll by. Turbulence-related injuries occur on average to about 75 passengers per year.

Airlines are not responsible for injuries that happen because of an ‘act of God’, which is defined as unplanned occurrences in nature that are unpreventable A common act of God would be turbulence. An injury caused by turbulence is usually not the fault of the airline, as they cannot predict this condition, so long as the flight crew provided necessary information and instruction to protect passengers as best they could.

However, if the pilot was aware of oncoming turbulence and did not pass along the information to the passengers, the airline could be charged with negligence should there be any injuries caused by the turbulence. Furthermore, if the attendants did not

- instruct passengers to stay in their seats with their seatbelts on,

- securely stow away any personal items,

Position their seats in an upright position

and then someone is injured because of the turbulence, the airline may be held accountable.

If you were injured when baggage fell from an unlatched or incorrectly latched overhead bin, research needs to be done to determine whether the bin came open as a result of negligence from the attendant, or because the bin clasp was defective. If a design flaw caused the bin to come open during the flight, a claim may be filed against the manufacturer of the bin instead of the airline.

Another example of an accident that may have more than one cause if someone falls while on the exit ramp and it is discovered that the ramp had a rise in it that caused someone to trip. The ramp itself may have a manufacturing defect and the passenger can file a claim against the company who made the ramp. On the other hand, if the airline knew about the problem on the ramp and failed to warn passengers, the airline may also be held liable.

If you have questions about an injury you received while on an airplane, contact personal injury attorneys near you to discuss your situation and determine who was responsible for your injury and how they can help.

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Client Reviews

    
 
 
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   Nancy Wallace 
 1 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. If you are looking to do estate planning, go with Patterson Bray! They are excellent to deal with!
  
 
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   Cheryl Adkins 
 2 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We loved the staff at Patterson Bray.  Everyone was very professional.  Judith was very thorough and explained everything extremely well.  We would recommend Patterson Bray to anyone.
  
 
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   Hailey Wade 
 26 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Patterson Bray PLLC did an excellent job with my grandmother's estate planning, and made everything easy to understand! She recommended them to a friend who went and is also very satisfied with their services.
  
 
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   Deb Clark 
 31 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My experience with this firm, particularly Judith Denham has been truly exceptional.  From the consultation to the finish, the attention to detail, listening and responding to my needs.  My documents were completed timely and professionally.  I highly recommend Patterson Bray.
  
 
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   Tanya White 
 31 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. PattersonBray Estate Planning was an incredible firm to work with setting up our Trust. Judith Denham was thorough, very smart, and personable as she patiently explained each part.  Gabby put together  a very professional beautiful binder for us to have, and has answered questions we have had since  then. I am so glad they were recommended to us, and we had them to walk us through this procedure.
  
 
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   Charmaine Sego 
 32 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Patterson Bray did a great job with my mother's trust.
  
 
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   Phil Chamberlain 
 48 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Patterson Bray PLLC - first class lawyers.
  
 
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   Catherine McGee 
 68 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Heath Taylor was a genuine joy to work with during my divorce: straight forward, professional, and knowledgeable. I do hope I never have the need to acquire more legal help, but if I do, he'll be my first call. Thank you for everything, Heath!!
  
 
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   Marva Johnson 
 74 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I FOUND PATTERSON BRAY AND JUDITH DENHAM TO BE PROFESSIONAL, VERY THOROUGH, AND PERSONAL. I DID NOT FEEL LIKE A CLIENT, BUT A PERSON. I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY JUDITH AND GABBY. VERY GRATEFUL FOR ASSISTANCE.
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   Pam Nicole 
 75 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We set up a trust with Judith, at Patterson Bray and we received excellent service. Everything was explained thoroughly and everyone was very friendly and professional. I would definitely use her and the firm again, if needed.

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Injured while travelling on an airplane

Your Rights as an Airline Passenger

Patterson Bray

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