Plane Crash Lawyer

After a plane crash that killed or seriously hurt someone you love, the questions come faster than the answers: who is responsible, what happens next, and who can help. This page is for families. It explains what a plane crash lawyer does, who may answer for a crash, and how to start a free case evaluation with The Ledger Law Firm.

Prefer to talk? Call (800) 300-0001.

What a plane crash lawyer does

A plane crash lawyer looks into what happened, finds out who may be responsible, and brings a claim for the injured passengers or, after a death, for the family. That means collecting the records, dealing with insurers and, if it is needed, going to court.

After a fatal crash, state law decides who may bring a wrongful death claim and what the claim can include, and the rules differ from state to state. The first step is a conversation: you tell the firm what happened, and an attorney tells you whether the firm can evaluate the claim. The case evaluation is free, and it does not commit you to anything.

Who may be responsible

Responsibility depends on the facts, and it may rest with one party or with several. In a crash it can include the airline or the operator of a charter or private flight, the pilot, the company that maintained the aircraft, the manufacturer of the aircraft or of a part, the owner, an airport, or a government body responsible for a service the flight relied on, and the insurers of the companies involved.

An airline's or an operator's insurer may contact families soon after a crash. Keep whatever they send you and bring it to the evaluation.

Who investigates, and how long it takes

The National Transportation Safety Board investigates aviation accidents. Its investigator in charge leads the safety investigation, and the NTSB can name other organizations, companies and agencies as parties to it (NTSB, Aviation Accident).

The NTSB says the preliminary report is typically available within two weeks after the accident, and that the final report is released at the end of the investigation, approximately 18 to 24 months after the accident. Its general page on the investigative process says it tries to complete an investigation within 12 to 24 months (NTSB, The Investigative Process). A family does not have to wait for the final report to ask what its options are.

Time limits

Every claim has a deadline. Deadlines depend on the state and on who is responsible, and some of them are short. A claim against a government body can follow different rules from a claim against a private company, and a flight between countries can add rules of its own.

Call early, so that no deadline passes while the family is still grieving and deciding.

What to keep, and what to bring

You do not have to gather everything at once. Keep what you have, and bring it to the evaluation:

• the death certificate, when you have it;
• the NTSB case number, if you have been given one;
• the ticket, itinerary or booking, and anything the airline or operator has sent you;
• medical and funeral bills;
• the insurance information of the person who was on board.

How the firm works

The Ledger Law Firm was founded in 1998. Its attorneys are licensed in California (Emery Brett Ledger and Sabrina Sabbagh), in Texas (Emery Brett Ledger and Randall L. Meredith) and in Washington (Emery Brett Ledger and Bruce Cyra). The firm has offices in Newport Beach, California and Dallas, Texas, and meets people by appointment elsewhere. For a claim in another state, ask the firm how it can help.

The firm can evaluate a claim that comes from a plane crash and tell you what it sees. The firm works on a contingency fee: the fee is a percentage of what is recovered. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee, but you may still be responsible for court costs and case expenses. The case evaluation is free.

Questions

Is the case evaluation free?

Yes. Free case evaluation.

Who investigates a plane crash?

The National Transportation Safety Board. Its investigator in charge leads the safety investigation, and it can name other organizations and companies as parties to it.

Do I have to wait for the final report?

No. The NTSB says its final report comes approximately 18 to 24 months after the accident. A family does not have to wait for it to ask what its options are.

Start a free case evaluation

Tell the firm what happened and an attorney calls you. If you were hurt in an aviation accident yourself, our page for injured people explains the same steps: Aviation Accident Lawyer: Free Case Evaluation.