Can I claim compensation for an accident in an airport?

It is that busy time of the year that many of us will be visiting the airport for travel to see family and friends or for that long awaiting holiday under the sun. When travelling for a holiday or a business trip, your airport experience including whilst on a flight is part of your overall travel experience. Whether you’re flying out or coming home, if you’re injured or become ill, it can ruin your trip and you may be entitled to compensation.

The Airport Authority and any companies operating within the airport itself have a duty of care to ensure its visitors can use the facilities safely. Should you sustain injury as a result of an accident in an airport it is important to establish not only how this occurred but also where it occurred. Airports provide many facilities such as shops, restaurants, car parks and departure lounges all of which will have individual responsibility for the area that they occupy.

Examples of common accidents

• Getting food poisoning from a restaurant or café – you fall ill from food poisoning as a result of poor hygiene, preparation or handling of the food. You can even claim if you suffered an allergic reaction because of incorrect information given to you by your server or inaccurate menus.
• Being hit by a heavy object
• Slip, trips and fall – These are some of the most common injuries and examples can include slipping on a wet floor in a shop, falling off a broken chair or falling down a flight of due to poor lighting.
• Airport car accident – injured while on an airport transfer bus.
• Lacerations caused by sharp edges.
• Travelator, lift and escalator accidents – if you fall from an escalator or get trapped in a lift because of lack of maintenance or a fault which was overlooked, and repairs should have been carried out.
• Accidents at work – if you have suffered an injury while working at an airport for example because of lack of training ,or any other negligent practices ; the duty of care also extends to employees who are injured during the course of their employment as Health & Safety Legislation applies to all places of work.
• Accidents onboard, boarding or disembarking an aircraft. – If you are injured on a plane, whether you are on a domestic or international flight, the Montreal Convention 1999 covers the carriage of passengers and establishes airline liability in the case of death or injury.

What should I do after an accident in an airport?

You should gather as much evidence as possible to support not just how the accident occurred but also of the injuries you suffered as a result of the accident, and you should do this as soon as practicably possible. The evidence can include:

• Seeking medical evidence from your GP and/or hospital
• Ask for a copy of the Accident and injury report.
• Take photographs of the site of the accident and defect
• Take photographs of your injuries
• Approach any witnesses and note their contact details.
• Airports are covered by security cameras for safety purposes and therefore you should check if your accident was recorded and ask for a copy of the footage.
• Note down a personal account of what happened whilst the event it still fresh in your mind

How long do I have to make an airport injury claim?

For accidents that occur in UK airports, you typically have up to three years from the date the accident occurred to make the claim.

For accidents on an aircraft brought under the Montreal Convention 1999, the claim must be brought within two years from the date of the accident.

We would always advise that you should make a claim at your earliest opportunity.

Airports are very busy with high footfall and while most visitors complete their journeys safely, accidents can still occur due to poor maintenance, and/or negligence on behalf of an airport worker, which can lead to injuries of all kinds and in some cases can be very serious. If you are looking to making a claim following an illness or injury sustained while at the airport and it wasn’t your fault, get in touch with Aston Knight Solicitors today to speak with one of our experienced solicitors.

Why Aston Knight?

We understand how upsetting it can be when either yourself, a family member or a friend suffers personal injury. We are a specialist personal injury firm and aim to make the claim process as simple and stress free as possible. We are proud of our excellent customer feedback.

We are proud of our excellent customer feedback.

In fact, at the time of writing this blog it was nice to speak to a potential new client, and so nice of them to take the time to give some feedback on the team here:

“The solicitor, Annie (and the receptionist), was absolutely lovely, and thorough, she was so understanding and a really nice lady, makes the experience a bit better. Please can you thank her for her time, she was lovely”.

We pride ourselves on our excellent success record and client care standards. If you have suffered an injury (either physical or psychological) as a result of an accident that wasn’t your fault and you would like a free consultation to discuss your options, please call

Aston Knight Solicitors today on 0161 399 1231 or click the ‘Contact’ button above to submit an online enquiry and one of our dedicated Solicitors will contact you to discuss your claim further.

Annie Rana (Senior Solicitor)