Aviation is typically broken out into two different segments: civil aviation and military aviation. Civil Aviation includes commercial airliners, commuter planes, helicopters, corporate jets and smaller personal aircraft. When filing an aviation lawsuit, several different areas of the law can come into consideration including state and federal law along with federal acts, treaties and regulations. In particular, the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) provide the minimum operating guidelines for aircraft, airlines and those employed in the aviation area, for example pilot conduct and air traffic controllers.

Additional laws may also apply depending upon who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. For example, the Federal Tort Claims Act may apply if a suit is filed against certain branches of the federal government or certain federal employees. If an accident occurred on an international flight or against a foreign airline carrier, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act or other treaties may apply. Because one of the contributing factors of an air crash could be a component part of the aircraft, products liability law may also be applicable. Our attorneys have experience in aviation litigation and products liability litigation.