Where Can I Find the Best Airport Accident Lawyers in Miami?

When a driver of another vehicle hits your car, assigning blame is a relatively straightforward process. That is not the case for finding fault in an airport accident case. Many parties can be held legally liable for causing an accident at any of the three main Miami area airports.

Government

The federal government typically owns an airport and delegates management of it to another public sector entity. Any government entity involved in the ownership of Miami airport can assume legal liability for causing an accident. For example, Miami International Airport falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government and Miami-Dade County.

Airlines

As a business, airlines must follow a high legal standard when it comes to protecting passengers. Airlines have a presence all over an airport, from the check-in counter to the gate assigned to the company by the airport authority. Incidents such as falling luggage, faulty seats, and slip and falls can put an airline in legal hot water with the judicial system.

Transportation Companies

Several different transportation companies serve the three primary airports in greater Miami. Drivers have a legal duty to protect passengers by following airport traffic laws, as well as parking in the appropriate spots while waiting for fares. Even public transportation organizations can be held liable for causing an accident on airport property.

Businesses

Businesses ranging from bookstores to restaurants have a duty to care for their customers. Once a traveler or a visitor enters a business operating in an airport, the business assumes legal responsibility for keeping the traveler or visitor safe. Some of the common accidents that unfold in airport businesses include defective products and slip and falls.

Individuals

By law, travelers and visitors to an airport have a legal duty to care for the safety of others. Negligence laws apply the same to individuals as they do to businesses and government agencies. If you suffered injuries at an airport that were caused by an individual, you might be able to sue the individual for your financial losses.

An experienced personal injury attorney such as the ones at Morgan & Morgan determines which party should assume legal liability for your airport accident case.

Experienced Miami airport accident lawyers understand the law as it pertains to suing airports in Florida. In many cases, the airport where an accident occurred answers a lawsuit for monetary damages. An airport can be the sole defendant or one of several defendants in an airport accident case. Government agencies operate most airports in the United States, as well as virtually every international airport. For example, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department operates Miami International Airport.

Typically, state, local, and federal government agencies receive sovereign immunity for airport accident cases. Although there are exceptions to the sovereign immunity rule, the exceptions can be difficult to litigate because of the different requirements mandated for filing a civil lawsuit. However, the State of Florida has waived sovereign immunity for the government agencies that manage airports. 

The sovereign immunity waiver includes several stipulations that the best Miami airport accident lawyers should know. For example, Florida law limits monetary damages to a maximum of $200,000 for airport accident cases. If more than one party assumes legal liability, the cap increases to $300,000.

You must follow a series of steps when filing a civil lawsuit for an airport accident case. When you meet with our team of Miami airport accident lawyers, you can expect to learn each step and the extent of your involvement.

Send a Demand Letter

A demand letter sent to the other party initiates the civil lawsuit process. The letter should include a detailed description of the accident, including the cause and an explanation concerning why the other party should assume fault for causing the accident. Your personal injury attorney submits a value for what you should receive in monetary damages. Either the other party agrees to pay monetary damages, requests negotiations to reach a settlement, or outright rejects the demand letter.

Build Your Case

The defendant must answer your demand letter within 45 days of receiving it. During this time, our team of Miami airport accident lawyers gathers and organizes evidence to strengthen your case. We also speak with witnesses that verify your version of events. Witnesses include other travelers, as well as workers employed by the entity held responsible for causing your injuries. If we do not receive an answer to the demand letter before the end of 45 days, then we pursue legal action by filing a civil lawsuit.

Negotiations

If we receive a response to the demand letter, the next step in the legal process involves negotiating a favorable settlement. Negotiating a favorable settlement is our preferred outcome for an airport accident case. Civil lawsuits require you to make a considerable time commitment that takes you away from work. Negotiation skills should be one of the most important traits that you look for in the best Miami airport accident lawyers.

Trial

Going to trial can be a highly stressful part of the legal process. However, Morgan & Morgan prepares our clients for trial by asking them the same questions they can expect to be asked when they testify during a civil trial. Our highly-rated team of personal injury attorneys also devises a strategy that maximizes your chance of winning a favorable judgment. During a civil trial, the judge hearing your case might request both parties try to resolve their differences either through mediation, arbitration, or another attempt to negotiate a settlement.

You have a certain amount of time to file a civil lawsuit for an airport accident case. The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim in Florida is four years. The clock starts ticking on the statute of limitations on the day you suffered your injuries. Sometimes, the symptoms of injuries do not develop until a few days after an airport accident. In that case, the clock starts on the statute of limitations on the day you had your injuries diagnosed by a physician.

If you do not file a civil lawsuit before the end of four years, you can expect the attorney representing the other party to ask the court to dismiss your civil lawsuit. Four years is more than enough time to build a persuasive case, but you should act with a sense of urgency because you are responsible for paying medical bills while you await the resolution of your personal injury claim.

The most important objective for the Miami airport accident lawyers at Morgan & Morgan is to win you a favorable judgment for monetary damages. We pursue three broad categories of monetary damages for our clients.

Special Compensatory Damages

Also referred to as economic damages, special compensatory damages cover the expenses that are associated with your injuries. You have the right to seek compensation to cover the costs of diagnostic tests, treatment regimens, and physical therapy sessions. If you received medications and used an assistive device to help you move around, you have the right to ask for compensation to cover those expenses. Special compensatory damages also cover lost wages, which can be substantial if you suffered serious injuries.

General Compensatory Damages

As a form of non-economic losses, general compensatory damages cover issues such as mental anguish and emotional distress. Suffering serious injuries can trigger Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which produces a wide variety of symptoms that negatively impact personal and professional relationships. Pain and suffering is just one type of general compensatory damages. You also might qualify for compensation that covers loss of consortium.

Punitive Damages

A judge or jury does not award punitive damages to compensate a plaintiff. Instead, punitive damages punish a defendant for committing one or more acts of negligence. For instance, failing to place a Wet Floor sign over a spilled beverage is considered an act of unintentional negligence. If the defendant committed an intentional act of negligence, the court typically awards much more money for compensation. Ultimately, punitive damages discourage the defendant from committing future acts of the same type of negligence.

Because of the complexity of litigating airport accident cases, you want to work with a team of experienced Miami airport accident lawyers that demonstrate a proven record of winning favorable judgments for personal injury cases. Although we try to negotiate a favorable settlement, we never agree to a settlement if it is not in the best interest of our client.

Learn more about the airport accident legal process by scheduling a free case evaluation with Morgan & Morgan.