Air Traffic Controller Negligence
Air traffic controllers have a difficult and important job. They are expected to keep thousands of planes moving safely through the skies by directing the movement of aircraft both on the ground and in the air.
Unfortunately, sometimes air traffic controllers make human mistakes. This can have devastating or fatal consequences if it leads to a runway crash, midair collision, or other incidents. When these errors happen, Slack Davis is here to provide help to aviation accident victims.
Our firm understands the unique issues raised by taking legal action against government officials, and we are also familiar with the technical nature of the work air traffic controllers do. Our experience means we can help you to identify and prove what went wrong.
To learn more about the legal services that we offer after your airplane incident, give our air traffic controller negligence lawyers a call today.
Types of Air Traffic Controller Negligence
Some of the most common types of air traffic controller negligence include:
- Working while fatigued
- Inadequate staffing
- Runway management issues
- Failure to communicate hazards to pilots
- Poor management of aircraft traffic
- Allowing planes to fly too close together
- Misreading radar
- Not warning of hazardous conditions
- Unclear instructions
- Delayed or inaccurate assistance in a developing emergency
- Working while impaired
- Negligent handoffs
This type of negligence can lead to hard landings, severe turbulence, and even crashes. When air traffic controllers fail to do their jobs, passengers can pay the price.
Who is Responsible For Air Traffic Controller Negligence?
It can be complicated to determine who is legally responsible when an air traffic controller fails to fulfill their responsibilities. There are also unique challenges involved in bringing these claims.
That’s because the government officials and federal agencies are potentially to blame, and there are special rules for pursuing claims against government entities.
Some of the different parties that could potentially be held liable include:
- The Federal Aviation Administration: The majority of air traffic controllers are employed by the FAA. The federal agency can be held responsible for negligence of on-the-job staff members or for its own faulty hiring policies. However, the Federal Tort Claims Act has strict rules and specific filing deadlines to follow if you’re suing the FAA.
- Private air traffic controller contractors: Some smaller airports turn to private companies for air traffic control. In these cases, standard negligence laws will govern your claim, and the company can be held responsible for the harm you experience.
- Pilots and airlines: If pilots don’t cooperate with controllers and follow instructions, the pilot and airline could be partly responsible for the incident and liable for your losses as well.
- Manufacturers of equipment and software: If there is a failure of headsets, communication systems, software programs, or equipment that air traffic controllers are using, this could result in the manufacturer of the software or devices being held liable under product liability laws.
Slack Davis can help you to identify who is at fault and to follow the requirements for pursuing a claim against government agencies so you can protect your rights.
Contact an Air Traffic Negligence Lawyer Today
Slack Davis is here and ready to help you in cases of air traffic controller negligence. We understand the complexities of these claims and have more than 30 years of experience in aviation accident cases to bring to the table.
Call (800) 455-8686 today to schedule your free consultation with an air traffic controller negligence lawyer to learn more about how we can fight for you.