Airline and Airport Employees

Many people are afraid to fly, but in most cases air travel is safe. However, if you work for an airline or airport, you may face various risks, including injuries arising out of lifting heavy objects, turbulence that causes tripping or falls, lacerations due to malfunctioning equipment, skin burns, or repetitive stress injuries. If you are an airline or airport employee who suffers injuries on the job, the Boston workers’ compensation lawyers at Pulgini & Norton may be able to help you secure benefits.

Each state has its own workers' compensation laws. An airline employee may be concerned about where to file a claim. Generally, you may file your claim in the state where you were hired, irrespective of where you live. This means that you may file your claim in Massachusetts if you were hired in Massachusetts, even if you live in a different state and are injured on the job in the air. You will need to prove that your injury or illness happened while you were working.

Massachusetts’ workers' compensation law is usually the exclusive remedy for an injured employee hoping to recover compensation from an employer. Employees are considered to have waived their right to bring a lawsuit against their employers for personal injuries, and covered employers that obtain the required insurance are immune from suit. Instead, injured employees may bring a workers' compensation claim to recover certain benefits from their employer's insurer.

Most employers in Massachusetts are required to purchase workers' compensation coverage for their employees. To be immune from suit, there must be an employment relationship between the injured person and the airline or airport, and the airline or airport must be an insured party liable for the payment of compensation. Whether the airline or airport is your employer is determined by who has direction and control of you and the work that you do. However, injured workers do retain the right to sue someone other than their employer. While your exclusive remedy against the airline or airport that employs you may be workers' compensation, you may retain the right to sue another airline or airport.

Benefits to which you may be entitled in Massachusetts include medical bills, disability based on your average weekly wage and the extent of your disability, vocational rehabilitation, and a lump sum payment for loss of function or disfigurement. If an airline or airport employee dies due to a work-related injury, a surviving spouse or dependent child may receive death benefits.

You should immediately report your injury to the airline or airport if you are hurt while working. If the insurer denies liability, we can help you file a claim with the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), which oversees an alternative court system for workers' compensation claims.

Working for an airline or airport puts you at risk for many different types of injuries. If are hurt on the job as an airline or airport employee, you may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits. At Pulgini & Norton, our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys can provide you with the legal assistance that you may need. We represent injured employees in Braintree, Quincy, and Andover, among other Massachusetts communities. Contact Pulgini & Norton at 781-843-2200 or through our online form for a free consultation with a workplace accident attorney.