Airliner accidents are rare – but when they happen they can be catastrophic. By their very nature they often involve serious injury or fatality to dozens or even hundreds of people.

We’re here for you if you or a loved one has been involved in an airliner accident. Our expert team have extensive experience dealing in the complex nature of these cases, and could help you not only seek compensation, but also get answers to your questions about what caused the accident. 

Some of the recent high-profile cases we’ve dealt with include:

  • Germanwings disaster in France (2015)
  • BA 2776 (2015)
  • British Airways fire in Las Vegas (2015)
  • Pamir Airways crash in Afghanistan (2010)
  • Ethiopian Airlines ET302 - Boeing 737 Max (2019)
  • Germanwings Disaster in France (2015)
  • British Airways fire in Las Vegas (2015)
  • *Shoreham Air Show disaster (2015)
  • Dana Air crash in Nigeria (2012)
  • Sita Air Crash in Nepal (2012)
  • Ethiopian Airways Crash in Beirut (2010)
  • Kenya Airways Crash in Cameroon (2007)
  • Lockerbie Terrorist Bombing on PanAm Flight 103 in Scotland (1988)
  • Manx 2 (2011) 
  • Ryanair FR1703 (2012)
  • Bhoja (2012)
  • Sunway (2010)
  • XL Airways Flight 888T (2008)
  • American Airlines Flight 11 (9/11- Twin Towers) (2001)
  • Kenya Airways Flight 507 (2007)
  • Bangkok Airways Flight PG266 (2009)
  • Kegworth and Manchester Airport fire (1989)
  • Manchester Air Disaster (1985)
  • Uganda air crash at Rome September (1988)
  • Lockerbie Terrorist Bombing on PanAm Flight 103 in Scotland (1988)
  • British Midlands crash at Kegworth (1989)
  • Bombing of UTA flight over the Sahara (1989)
  • BA 149 detention of passengers in Kuwait (1990)
  • British Airways Window Blow Out (1990)
  • PIA Crash at Nepal (1992)
  • Kenya Airways Crash in Cameroon (2007)
  • Bangkok Airways Flight PG266 (2009)
  • Ethiopian Airways Crash in Beirut (2010)
  • Pamir Airways Crash in Afghanistan (2010)
  • Sunway (2010)
  • Manx 2 Belfast to Cork (2011)
  • Jet2 Glasgow (2012)
  • Ryanair FR1703 (2012)
  • Bhoja (2012)
  • Dana Air Crash in Nigeria (2012)
  • Sita Air Crash in Nepal (2012)
  • Clutha Vaults Helicopter Crash in Glasgow (2013)
  • British Airways BA 2776 - Fire in Las Vegas (2015)
  • Shoreham Air Show Disaster (2015).

Airliner claims often involve complicated international regulations and decisions need to be made about the best country in which to make your claim. The process can be confusing and the official accident reports can take years to be published, leaving you and your family in the dark.

Our dedicated aviation team can help you understand why the accident happened, and secure the compensation you need to start rebuilding your life. If a loved one has died, we can help you pursue a claim on their behalf.

We have extensive experience of bringing claims in the US, especially in cases where manufacturing defects contributed to the accident. We also work with professional avionics experts and flight engineers to assess the likely causes of an airliner accident – this allows us to build as strong a case as possible, to get you the justice you and your loved ones deserve.

Contact us today for a free consultation with one of the team. 

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Call us for a free initial consultation

0800 056 4110

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mental health worker chatting with client

They were always there to answer my questions and queries when I was at my most vulnerable and they persevered to obtain the best possible result."

Lisa, client

How Much Is My Claim Worth?

How much compensation you can receive will depend on a number of factors, including:

  • Any international convention that applies to the flight
  • The laws around compensation claims in the country where you bring your claim
  • The severity of the injuries suffered
  • The age of the passenger
  • The income of the passenger
  • The passenger’s dependants, such as a spouse or children

 Working out the full value of each claim is complex and requires a lot of research. It is likely that all responsible parties – for example, the airline, the manufacturer, and the insurers – will want to pay as little as possible, especially when many people are claiming for the same incident. Therefore it is essential to have your case argued by specialist aviation lawyers, who can get you the best settlement.

In many cases we can help you access an advance payment while your claim is ongoing. If the Montreal Convention pursued applies, the airline should make an advance payment straight away if you are suffering financial hardship. The amount is normally between $25,000 to $50,000 and we can help make sure these payments are made promptly. 

To find out more about how we could help you make a claim, contact us today for a free consultation.

Where Will My Claim Be Settled?

There are often a number of options available in terms of where you can claim following an airliner accident. This will depend on a number of factors, including:

  • The home nation of the carrier
  • The country of the carrier’s main place of business
  • The country where the contract was made or the ticket purchased
  • The final destination of the flight
  • The home nation of the passenger (if the carrier flies to or from that country)

It may also be appropriate to make a claim against the manufacturer of the plane or its components. If this is the case, we will likely make your claim in the US, where many airliners and their components are made. Read more about manufacturing defects and our expertise in US product liability claims.

Our aviation team will be able to advise you on the best place to bring your claim, the relevant laws, and the possible compensation available.

Get in touch today for free consultation on 0800 056 4110

How Can Irwin Mitchell’s Aviation Team Help?

Our Aviation team has decades of experience helping victims of airliner accidents get justice. We’ve acted for clients in many high-profile cases...

…and are adept at dealing with the complicated nature of these claims. Many of our lawyers are multi-lingual, a key strength in tackling the international aspect that airliner claims usually entail. Having helped many people claim compensation after airliner accidents, we have a thorough knowledge of the international conventions that govern different cases and can advise you where best to bring your claim.

We’ve been pioneers of the ‘Mid Atlantic Settlement process which enables victims of international aviation disasters to secure compensation that maybe less than recoverable under US Law, but is still higher than that available under the laws of their own country. This balances the risk of making a claim in the US with the lower settlements available elsewhere. 

We also have extensive experience of dealing with short-haul flights where international conventions do not apply. Such claims require detailed knowledge of the domestic law of the country itself, of the airline’s terms and conditions of carriage, and other agreements relevant to passenger compensation. We can help you understand all of this and guide you through the claims process to ensure you get the best settlement possible.

We can also advise on the possibility of bringing a claim against the airplane’s manufacturers, if appropriate. This will usually involve making a product liability claim in the US, a process which can be complex but of which we have considerable experience.

Whatever the circumstances of your accident, we will fight to get you the compensation you deserve to make sure you can move on with your live.  We will be there with you every step of the way.

Contact the team today.

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Gillian Coverly was outstanding in her professionalism, in her knowledge but also in the manner in which she worked with our family as a time of great shock and distress, even out of hours when we needed help. Her sensitivity and empathetic nature helped us worked though what was a time pressing ...

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What Our Clients Say

We truly value and appreciate the feedback we receive from our clients, as we look to improve the services we offer on an ongoing basis.

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Very impressed

I am so happy i chose Irwin Mitchell as my solicitors, they have done nothing but help me threw my recovery since my tragic accident, I am still recovering and they do their absolute best to make my life easier…

Kayley hicken
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Excellent, very professional and would definitely recommend this company and solicitor to anyone. Amazing experience fully happy with the service and outcome…


Nazia A
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Pleasing outcome

Thank you Irwin Mitchell for the pleasing outcome of my claim,and to Nicola Handley Ian Toft and Fay Marshall for your dedication and advice to helping me,to get the outcome we wanted.Justice for my beloved Late Husband.

Mrs A Meek