Is it possible to claim airport accident injury compensation for being knocked over by an airport employee who was pushing luggage trolleys? I was hit from behind and I fell over my suitcase and fractured my collarbone.
Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor
Editor in Chief
It is possible to claim airport accident injury compensation provided that the accident in which you sustained a personal injury was the result of third party negligence. A duty of care must also have been owed to you and breached in order to claim compensation for an accident in an airport. Since you were injured in an accident which appears to have been caused by the carelessness of an employee of the airport, it is probable that you will be eligible to make a claim for airport accident injury compensation.
The operator of the airport must assume liability for an accident in an airport which is caused by the negligence of its staff. If you were hit from behind, it would appear that the airport employee was not concentrating on where he or she was going and was negligent for failing to act with due care and attention. You must still be able to establish and prove that the accident was the result of the negligence of the airport staff in order to claim for an airport accident injury.
An accident book report is useful in order to establish that an accident occurred, however under the circumstances and due to the seriousness of your injury; it is unlikely that you will have made an accident report at the time. It may still be beneficial to return to the airport and make an accident report; however you should speak to a personal injury solicitor first about your claim for an airport accident injury to determine if it is necessary.
Witness accounts can be important to help determine the course of events due to which the injury occurred. If you were able to record witness contact details these may be useful to support your claim for an airport accident injury and can be used to help negotiate a settlement of compensation for an accident in an airport with the insurance company of the airport.
Fortunately, airports are extensively covered by CCTV cameras and it is probable that the accident was caught on camera. You are within your rights to request a copy of the video that captured the accident which caused your injury, and this can be used as proof of negligence in a claim for airport accident injury compensation. CCTV camera footage is not kept for long, and tapes may be recorded over, so it is important that the request is made promptly to ensure that it is still available.
We strongly recommend that you contact a personal injury solicitor to discuss your claim for an airport accident injury as soon as possible. A solicitor will be able to request CCTV camera footage and obtain statements from any witnesses to the accident to help to build a strong case for compensation for an accident in an airport. This will help to improve the probability of being able to negotiate an appropriate settlement with the insurance company of the airport.