The Dangers of Portable Stairs On Airplanes

While many larger airports no longer use portable stairs as often as smaller airports do, your travels could require it. If you frequently travel by air for work or pleasure, you most likely end up using them to board and deplane on occasion.

While most of the time this doesn’t bother or affect you, the potential for a serious slip, trip or fall remains. If this happens to you, it could leave you with serious injuries and the need for a Chicago aviation accident lawyer. 

How Portable Stairs Can Lead To Injuries

Portable stairs are a useful tool in getting passengers on and off planes, but certain aspects of them could prove dangerous, such as those listed below:

• The dimensions of the treads and risers
• Any variations in the height of the risers
• Any gaps between the aircraft door and the platform or stairs
• Inadequate bumper materials to bridge any gaps
• Inadequate or absent webbing or guardrails
• Employee errors in properly aligning the portable stairs
• Employee errors in properly securing the portable stairs to the aircraft

Some of these risks could also be present on boarding bridges. Any of the above defects and/or failures could cause you to slip and fall, which our Chicago premises liability lawyers in Chicago can help you with. Depending on the circumstances, your injuries could prove serious. You could break a bone, suffer soft tissue injuries, or even a traumatic brain injury. In addition to cutting your trip short, you may require an extended amount of time to recover, medical care, and time away from work.

How To Pursue Compensation For Your Injuries

In order to answer that question, a thorough review and investigation of the circumstances surrounding your injuries is a requirement. The goal is to discover what went wrong and who may bear legal responsibility for the incident. Questions that will need answering involve whether the product was defective, whether employees failed to properly align or secure the stairs to the plane, and more. Once you have the answers to those questions, it may be possible to determine whether legal action would be appropriate.

Contact A Chicago Injury Lawyer For Help With Your Case

Finding the answers to these and other questions, understanding your rights, and exploring your legal options is not necessarily an easy task. Fortunately, you don’t have to attempt to pursue compensation for the financial losses and other damages associated with the incident alone. You could consult with a Chicago personal injury attorney with experience in aviation accidents and law. Doing so could help increase your odds of receiving the maximum restitution you deserve.