Michigan Airport Slip & Fall Lawyers

A Michigan airport injury lawyer can help if you or someone you care about was hurt at an airport. Personal injuries often occur at airports due to the tremendous amount of traffic every day and night throughout the year.

• What are the Causes of Airport Injuries?
• Common Injuries Suffered at Michigan Airports
• Who is Liable for Injuries at Airports?
• Surveillance Video as Evidence in Airports Cases
• Damages in Airport Slip & Fall Cases

Can I Sue an Airport in Michigan for an Injury?

You can sue Michigan airports if you were injured due to negligence or a defect on the property. The owner has a legal duty to make the property safe for travelers while walking through the airport and getting on and off airplanes. The failure to maintain the airport in a safe condition for travelers allows you to sue in a personal injury lawsuit.

What are the Causes of Airport Injuries?

The most common causes of Michigan airport injuries include:

• Slip and falls on water, spills, and other substances
• Falls due to improper maintenance
• Freshly mopped wet floors
• Failure to put out Wet Floor signs
• Dangerous conditions on the property
• Uneven steps and walkways
• Loose or damaged carpeting
• Elevator and escalator injuries
• Tram injuries
• Trip hazards, like electrical cords

Most injuries could have been prevented if the airport owner had properly maintained the premises and kept it free and clear of hazardous conditions.

Michigan Slip and Falls at Airports

Our slip and fall lawyers have successfully won airport slip and fall settlements. The heavy pedestrian traffic at airports puts many people at great risk of injury if a dangerous condition, like water on the floor, persists for a long period of time.

The airport employees have an affirmative duty to frequently check the areas and inspect for hazardous conditions, including snow and ice. Because it takes time for freezing to occur, the failure to timely put down ice is evidence that the employees were not frequently monitoring the area for snow and ice.

Common Injuries Suffered at Michigan Airports

A wide range of injuries occur at airports and convenience stores, including:

• Burn injuries
• Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries from falls
• Soft-tissue sprains, strains, bruises, and scrapes
• Knee, ankle and leg fractures and injuries
• Back and neck injuries, including herniated discs
• Broken bones and fractures
• Lacerations and cuts requiring stitches
• Head wounds
• Disfigurements and scars

Our airport negligence attorneys will get your medical records to support the serious injuries you suffered on the premises. We use these to prove to the liability insurance company adjuster the nature of your injuries and to support a settlement demand. These records help us negotiate a great settlement for you.

What are the Main Airports in Michigan?

There are 72 airports in the State of Michigan. The primary commercial service airports in the state are below:

• Alpena County Regional Airport (Alpena)
• Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport (Romulus)
• Delta County Airport (Escanaba)
• Bishop International Airport (Flint)
• Gerald R. Ford International Airport (Grand Rapids)
• Houghton County Memorial Airport (Hancock)
• Ford Airport (Iron Mountain)
• Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (Kalamazoo)
• Capital Region International Airport (Lansing)
• Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport (Marquette)
• Muskegon County Airport (Muskegon)
• Pellston Regional/Emmett County Airport (Pellston)
• MBS International Airport (Saginaw)
• Chippewa County International Airport (Sault St. Marie)
• Cherry Capital Airport (Traverse City)

There are also dozens of smaller reliever airports and general aviation airports in cities like Howell, Plymouth, Pontiac, Port Huron, Ann Arbor, Adrian, Bay City, Big Rapids, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, Gaylord, Hillsdale, Jackson, Mackinaw Island, Monroe, South Haven, Bad Axe, West Branch, Port Austin, and Tecumseh.

How to Prove an Airport Injury Claim?

Under Michigan law, an airport traveler is owed the highest legal duty of care because the person is a business invitee. This legal duty requires the business to warn customers of dangerous conditions, to inspect the building for hazards, and to eliminate the condition in a timely manner. Many times, the evidence shows that the employees never did a visual inspection for hazards and failed to timely eliminate the hazard.

Who is Liable for Injuries at Airports?

Parties that might be liable for a slip and fall at an airport include:

• Airport authority if a public airport
• Private airport owner
• Vendors like food and restaurants.
• Maintenance companies and janitorial services

In Michigan, governmental entities are immune from lawsuits for specific types of cases. This means you simply cannot sue them if you were injured on the property. However, there may be other parties responsible for your injury who can be sued. We will investigate your case and determine if there is an entity liable for your injuries that we can sue for a settlement.

Surveillance Video as Evidence in Airports Cases

For security reasons, airports have surveillance video cameras that cover virtually every inch of the building. Our Michigan airport injury lawyers have won sizeable settlements after obtaining these surveillance videos.

These video cameras often capture the incident and provide great proof of negligence and liability against the business. First, they show exactly how the injury occurred, and this is very helpful in the absence of eyewitnesses. Second, they often show the nature and extent of the dangerous conditions.

Finally, the videos can be strong evidence to show how long the hazard existed before the injury and that employees never inspected the area or took actions to eliminate the dangerous condition. This includes the failure to put down salt to melt an icy area or the failure to mop up a spill on the floor inside the store.

Can I Sue for a Fall While Boarding or Disembarking a Plane?

Yes, under the Montreal Convention, you can sue if you fell while boarding or disembarking a plane. Many falls occur due to trip hazards just inside and outside the passenger door of the airplane. Under this law, there is strict liability against the airline and the airport, which means they are automatically negligent for your injury.

Damages in Airport Slip & Fall Cases

You can claim several types of damages under Michigan law. For a slip and fall case, you are entitled to compensation for the following:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Disability
• Mental anguish and psychological harm
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of income, past, present and future
• Medical expenses, past present and future

For cases involving a death, the surviving family members can file a Michigan wrongful death lawsuit. These lawsuits have special damages for family members of the decedent.

How much is an Airport Injury Settlement?

The amount of an airport injury settlement is based on several factors, including the:

• Strength of proving negligence against the airport o
• Seriousness of the injury and medical condition
• Medical treatment needed for the injury, like surgery and physical therapy
• Medical bills and other financial losses suffered by the victim
• Degree of pain and suffering, mental anguish, and disability

There is no calculator used to determine the amount of a settlement. Rather, it is the skill and effectiveness of your lawyer that will help you get the highest settlement.

Michigan Airport Slip and Fall Case Study

A woman slipped and fell near a restaurant at the airport due to a slippery substance on the floor. She suffered a knee injury that required surgery. It was determined that a restaurant employee failed to clean the spill despite it being on the floor for more than thirty minutes prior to the fall. The case settled for $725,000.00.

How Long Do I Have to File an Airport Injury Lawsuit?

In Michigan, you generally have three (3) years from the date of your incident to file your airport injury lawsuit for negligence claims. However, there are other unique deadlines for injuries that occur at airports in the state.

For example, you must file a notice of intent to sue within 120 days of your injury if you are suing a public building owner. If you are suing the State of Michigan, you must file a notice of intent within 6 months of your fall injury.

However, you must know the time deadline to file a claim under the Montreal Convention is only two (2) years. So, if you fall while boarding or exiting a plane you must hire a lawyer quickly because you have a full year less to file your lawsuit after the incident.

Contact a Michigan Airport Injury Lawyer

If you were injured at an airport, you should contact our Michigan airport attorneys now at The Buckfire Law Firm to start your case. We will immediately request surveillance video and start our investigation of your case. This is your best chance to win the maximum possible settlement to compensate you for your injuries. Our award-winning law firm will advocate for you.

There is no cost to start your case, and we do not charge any legal fees unless you win a settlement. If you do not receive a settlement, you owe us nothing!