Airport tarmac workers can face incredibly dangerous conditions while on the job. Despite the accidents and deaths that occur in these occupations, few airports or airlines offer proper airline injury compensation for the damages these workers often sustain. When the accidents prove fatal, families may be left reeling and without the income that they need to survive.
This is exactly what recently happened to a LaGuardia Airport worker and his family. The NY Daily News reports that the 40-year-old man usually worked as a minimum wage airport cleaner, but was often ordered to work on the tarmac directing the water trucks that bring water to the planes. He repeatedly asked to be reassigned because of how dangerous the work is, but his requests went unanswered.
Shortly thereafter the man was struck and pinned between a water truck and a jet. The accident killed the worker but the airline has offered to pay for nothing other than funeral expenses. The airline was fined by the Federal Aviation Administration for hazards at the worksite. He had three children, who now stay with their grandmother.
Accidents common on the tarmac
According to USA Today, ground accidents at airports are not tabulated by the government because there are three major agencies that investigate these events. These include the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. However, the Flight Safety Foundation reports that around 27,000 airport tarmac accidents occur around the world every year and cost an estimated $10 billion in damage.
Accidents these workers endure
Airlines are often more concerned with making sure that planes are on time than with the safety of their employees. Then when accidents occur, they often refuse to pay proper airline injury compensation to those who are injured. According to an NTSB investigation, workers often cut corners on safety in order to increase the flow of planes on the tarmac despite the obvious risks. When workers fail to put safety first, they often end up hurting or killing those they work with. Common accidents for tarmac workers include the following:
- Baggage cart accidents
- Tarmac vehicle collisions
- Drivers backing their vehicles over other workers
- Forklift accidents
- Ramp workers injured by aircraft pushback
- Wing walkers injured by aircraft pushback
Each of these accidents can leave workers severely injured, disabled or dead, and they are just a small example of the various types of accidents that often occur on the tarmac.
Those who have been injured while working on the tarmac at an airport do not have to settle with the airport or airline without assistance. Workers should turn to an airline accident attorney to discuss their situation and their potential claim for airline injury compensation.