Philadelphia Airport Fall Accidents – What Can You Recover?

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Fall accidents like slip and fall or trip and fall accidents occur every day at the Philadelphia International Airport. While in the majority of these accidents, individuals will walk away uninjured, some individuals will sustain serious injuries like a broken bone, back injury or head injury.

Related: Fall Down Accidents-Slip and Fall, Trip and Fall Cases in Pennsylvania (Part One)

For example, a woman walking through the airport breaks her ankle after she slips and falls due to water on the floor, leaking from a nearby water fountain, or a man may suffer serious back injuries when he trips and falls over an extension cord on the floor of an airport restaurant.

In these kinds of situations, an injured individual will want to know their legal remedies, i.e., whether they will be able to obtain financial compensation for their injuries. The answer of course depends on issues relating to liability (whether someone’s negligence caused the accident), and whether the injuries and damages are serious enough to warrant proceeding with a lawsuit. Some injuries and damages will be minimal, for instance a sprained neck, which does not require any medical treatment. In such a situation, the costs of litigation would outweigh the damages.

Related: Philadelphia Slip and Fall Law – How to Win a Slip and Fall Case in PA

Philadelphia Airport Accident Lawsuits – Who is the Liable Party?

Airport accident cases may involve multiple parties, including the local government entity as well as private businesses. For instance, a fall accident which occurs inside of a restaurant or other retail store may require filing the lawsuit against the City as well as the business which operated the store.

The Philadelphia airport is operated by the City of Philadelphia, and under Pennsylvania law, there are certain prerequisites to filing a lawsuit against a government entity. The most important one is the 6 month notice requirement.

Under Pennsylvania law, individuals injured in accidents who wish to file lawsuits against government entities must first file a notice of claim, at least 180 days after the accident occurred. The notice must contain specific information, such as details regarding the accident, medical treatment, etc. Failure to file this tort claims notice can result in dismissal of the case.

More Philly airport accident law articles:

Financial Claims in a Philadelphia Airport Accident Lawsuit

Under Pennsylvania tort law, injured individuals can make claims against negligent parties for the following:

  • medical bills,
  • lost wages,
  • economic expenses, and
  • pain and suffering.

It is important to note that Pennsylvania law determines what claims for financial compensation may be made in cases against government agencies. Most importantly, Pennsylvania law puts a cap on the amount of financial damages which may be obtained from a government entity, either $250,000 or $500,000, depending on the nature of the entity. The $250,000 cap applies to state entities, and the $500,000 cap applies to local entities, such as local county and city governments.

Philadelphia Accident Lawyer – Airport Accidents

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