Airplane Sexual Assault Incidents – You Could Pursue a Claim

Sexual assault is, unfortunately, very common. According to statistics made available by RAINN, an American suffers sexual assault every 73 seconds. Sexual assault can happen anywhere; although many people might assume that sexual attacks are limited to secluded areas, that is not always the case. Although considered rare compared to other sexual assault incidents, airplane sexual assault incidents are common – and they are actually on the rise. According to statistics made available by the FBI, the number of reported incidents of sexual assault on airplanes have increased from 38 in 2014 to 63 in 2017. It is possible that the actual number of sexual assault incidents on airplanes is much higher considering that sexual assault often goes unreported.

Did you or a member of your family experience a sexual assault incident while on an airplane? If a sexual assault occurred during a flight, it is possible that victims had to stay in close proximity with their attacker throughout the remainder of the flight. They might have reported the incident to the flight crew, who in term could have reported it to the authorities on the ground. Undeniably, suffering a sexual assault on an airplane is likely to be very traumatic.

Did you report the sexual assault that you suffered onboard the place? How did the airline respond to the incident? Did the airline ignore your report of the incident? Did the airline act appropriately after you made the incident report (i.e. did they contact the authorities?)? If the airline crew failed to take the necessary actions after your sexual assault incident, you might have grounds to sue – specifically you could sue based on their inability to act after your incident due to lack of training and lack of protocol, for instance.

Although you, without a doubt, could sue your attacker, you could also sue the airline. If you are interested in learning more about your right to sue for the sexual assault that you happened on board a plane, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible.

At Kenmore Law Group, our lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. Kenmore Law Group is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – including aviation sexual assault claims. Our lawyers are ready to evaluate your incident and help you pursue your claim – our lawyers will provide you with the guidance necessary to reach a successful claim outcome. If you are ready to discuss your claim with the experts at our firm? If so, contact us at your earliest convenience.

Sexual Assault Onboard an Aircraft is a Serious Offense

Crimes that occur aboard airplanes fall are considered federal crimes; therefore, they fall under the jurisdiction of the FBI. According to the FBI, sexual assault onboard aircrafts are felonies. It includes anything from unsolicited sexual touching, groping, grazing, exposing oneself, and rape, for example. According to the FBI, these sexual acts, since they are felonies, can result in the offender doing time in federal prison (up to 10 years and even life in prison if the assault is aggravated). Without a doubt, sexual assault on an aircraft is a serious crime – affected individuals must report the incident to the airline crew, and the airline crew must report it to the authorities on the ground (to ensure that the situation is addressed as soon as the plane lands).

Do You Have the Right to Sue?

Because sexual assault onboard a flight is considered a felony, victims could, without a doubt, could pursue charges against their attackers. They could also pursue civil claims against their attackers; specifically, based on the fact that their attackers acted intentionally and maliciously. Could you also sue the airline? Based on the details surrounding the circumstances, you might be eligible to pursue a claim against the airline – specifically, you could sue on the basis of negligence.

Airlines owe a duty to their passengers. They have the duty to promote the safety of their passengers during their flights. They must be able to act accordingly if any incidents occur on their flights. For instance, if a sexual assault occurs on their flight, the flight attendants have the duty to report the incident to the appropriate authorities to ensure that that it dealt with appropriately once the airplane lands. Airlines have the duty to ensure that their employees have appropriate training and follow the appropriate protocol to deal with incidents during flights.

Although airlines have this duty of care towards their passengers, they can breach their duty of care – they can fail to properly train their employees on the protocol that must be followed after sexual assault incidents. The failure to act accordingly can be a form of negligence.

This is also reinforced by the Montreal Convention, which establishes that airlines are liable in the case of injury (or death) to passengers. If you are interested in learning about your right to sue for the hare that you or a member of your family suffered, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.

What Should affected Airplane Passengers Do?

If you or a member of your family suffered airplane sexual assault, there are a number of things that you should do to prepare to take action against the airline. What should you do? You should consider following some of the recommendations listed below:

• Take photos of your injuries
• Reach out to the stewardess to report the sexual assault that occurred (it is important that you identify your attacker)
• Request that the airline employees report the incident to authorities on the ground (to deal with the situation immediately after the plane lands)
• Gather flight details (including the airline name, flight number, seat number, and times associated with the flight)
• Speak to witnesses (request their contact information for later reference)
• Speak to the authorities after the plane lands (provide them with a detailed description of what happened)
• Request a copy of the report
• Seek medical attention as soon as possible (medical care will possibly be delayed because victims will have to wait until after the plane lands)
• Gather all medical records associated with your sexual assault
• Seek the legal assistance of a sexual assault attorney with experience in aviation injury claims as soon as possible

Your Right to Recover Monetary Compensation

Depending on the details surrounding your product liability claim, you could be eligible to recover monetary compensation – that is, if your sexual assault aviation injury claim reaches a successful outcome. What could you be eligible to receive? Based on the details surrounding your injury claim, you could be eligible to recover compensation for at least some of the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering (mental and emotional distress)
• Property damage
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral expenses
• Legal fees

Are you interested in learning more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive if your claim is successful? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers are ready to aggressively fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered in an airplane sexual assault. To learn more of the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive, contact our firm at your earliest convenience.

The Statute of Limitations

Civil claims are normally subject to a statute of limitations, which determines the total length of time that claimants have to sue. This ensures that claimants file their claims promptly. In general, personal injury claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants only have two years to pursue their claims. If they do not file their claims on time, they could lose their right to sue entirely. To ensure that you preserve your right to pursue your claim against the airline for the sexual assault that you suffered, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers will help you file your claim within the appropriate length of time.

Contact Kenmore Law Group at Your Earliest Convenience

At Kenmore Law Group, our lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome against the airline. Based on the details surrounding your airline sexual assault claim, you might have grounds to pursue a claim. If you are interested in exploring the legal options, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately. Our lawyers have many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – including sexual assault in planes incidents. To further discuss your claim with the experts at our firm, contact our experts as soon as possible.

Kenmore Law Group offers free consultations as well as free second opinions to ensure that our clients have access to our free legal services. During these free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer your questions, address your concerns, and provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome; you can trust that the experts at our firm are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. Are you interested in speaking with our experts and benefiting from our free consultations or free second opinions? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.

Kenmore Law Group offers a Zero-Fee guarantee which ensure that our clients are never required to pay upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. This means that you can speak with our lawyers without ever having to worry about expensive legal fees. In addition, our firm is based on a contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. What does this mean? If your claim is not successful, you will not be responsible for paying anything.

If you are ready to discuss your claim with the aviation sexual assault incident attorneys at our firm, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience.