Welcome to our new web site which focuses on accident and injury cases that happen on airplanes and at airports in New York and other places around The United States and The World.
We have had years of experience handling various types of accident cases involving airplane accidents and airport accident. We believe that our experience in this area sets us apart from other personal injury law firms. Mr. Hecht, one of the partners at Hecht & Hecht has more than 20 years of experience working on these types of cases.
Let’s say that you live in New York. You travel to France for a vacation with your family. On the plane, a flight attendant rams a beverage cart into your leg. When you get home, you find out that you need surgery on your knee. To most people, this seems like a case. But when you think about it, what law should apply? The incident happened in the air-perhaps over the ocean. Why should New York or even French law apply. Well neither law should be applicable. Alternatively, The Montreal Convention should apply. The Montreal convention has its own set of rules. Our office has extensive experience handling Montreal Convention cases and knows the rules that apply.
Another example of a Montreal Convention case would be if on the same vacation to France, you trip and fall over a metal plate in the jet bridge. (A jet bridge is the movable hallway that connects an airport terminal to an aircraft allowing passengers to board the aircraft through and enclosed corridor. The metal plate covers the part of the jet bridge which allows it to extend and retract so that it can be placed next to an aircraft). If you were in the process of disembarking from the your flight, The Montreal Convention should apply.
However, what if you are walking into the street from the airport’s terminal. You have already claimed your baggage and you are looking for a taxi. As you are walking out of the terminal you trip on the broken saddle of the door. In that case, local law should apply, because you would not be seen as within flight operations or embarking or disembarking. If that happened at a New York airport, New York State law should apply.
When an incident happens at an airport, it matters where it occurred. The Montreal Convention can be a very favorable law to an injured person under certain circumstances. It can help you recover compensation when you might not be able to recover under local law. Hecht & Hecht has the experience to make the appropriate claims so that all of your rights are protected.
If you have been injured in an accident, please call us at 212-226-2400 for a free consultation. This may be your first accident case, but it is not ours.
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