Common Carrier Liability

The Federal government has created regulations regarding the liability to passengers injured while using a common carrier. A common carrier is one who represents to the public that its business is one of transporting persons or cargo from place to place for compensation, and such services are generally open to the public.

Generally, commercial buses, ferries, trains, and airplanes are considered common carriers. There are some exceptions to this definition, such as with certain airplanes, vessels, "scenic railroads," or private charter transportation.

In most situations, a common carrier is generally required to use the highest degree of care, diligence, and vigilance in the transport of its passengers to the appropriate destination.

The carrier must have the necessary equipment and a reasonable degree of skill to carry out the transportation of passengers. 

In California, a common carrier must use the utmost care and diligence for the safe carriage of its passengers, must provide everything necessary for that purpose, and must exercise to that end a reasonable degree of skill. Cal Civ Code § 2100 This duty requires a common carrier to do all that human care, vigilance, and foresight reasonably can do under the circumstances. It includes protecting passengers from assaults by others, including fellow passengers when the common carrier knows or should know that an assault is about to occur. City and County of San Francisco v Superior Court (1994, 1st Dist) 31 Cal App 4th 45, 36 Cal Rptr 2d 372. Common carriers are not, however, insurers of their passengers' safety. Rather, the degree of care and diligence that they must exercise is only such as can reasonably be exercised consistent with the character and mode of conveyance adopted and the practical operation of the business of the carrier.

In all airplane accident cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. 

If you or a loved one is a victim of an airplane accident, call the Law Office of Steven L. Weiner & Associates at 1-800-704-0151. The consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds.

Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.
Fuel Starvation

05/06/1936 Macon, Missouri
Transcon. & West. Air
12/31/1935 Alexandria, Egypt
Imperial AW
01/14/1936 Goodwin, Arkansas
American AL
07/02/1937 Lae, New Guinea
Purdue Res. Found.
11/28/1938 Off Point Reyes, CA
United Air Lines
02/09/1943 Gander, Newfoundland
British Overseas AW
12/26/1946 Michigan City, MI
American AL
01/05/1947 Carmel, New Jersey
Nationwide Air Trans.
01/11/1947 Lympne, England
BOAC
01/07/1948 Savannah, Georgia
Coastal Air Lines
01/30/1948 Near Bermuda
British So. Am. AW
12/28/1948 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Airborne Transport
08/15/1949 Lurga Point, Ireland
Transocean Air Lines
07/28/1950 Porte Alegre, Brazil
Penair do Brasil
04/30/1952 Delhi, India
Deccan, AW
06/19/1954 Folkestone, England
Swissair
12/22/1954 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Johnson Flying Service
04/04/1967 Stockport, England
British Midland AW
05/02/1970 St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Antillian AL
08/11/1974 Ouagadougou, Upper Volta
Air Mali
10/20/1977 Gillsburg, Mississippi
L & J Company
12/02/1977 Al Bayda, Lebanon
Balkan Bulgarian AL
12/28/1978 Portland, Oregon
United AL
09/04/1982 Rio Branco, Brazil
Cia Bras. de Tratores
07/23/1983 Gimli, Manitoba, Canada
Air Canada
09/03/1989 Sao Jose do Xingu, Brazil
Varig
01/25/1990 Cove Neck, New York
Avianca
09/11/1990 Off Newfoundland, Canada
Faucett
06/26/1991 Sokotu, Nigeria
Okada Air
11/15/1993 Kerman, Iran
Magistralnye Avialinii
09/18/1994 Tamanrasset, Algeria
Oriental AL
09/26/1994 Vanavera, Russia
Cheremshanka AL
09/11/1995 Jalalabad, Afghanistan
Ariana Afghan AL
10/31/1995 Piedras Negras, Mexico
TACSA
04/05/1996 Petropavlovsk, Russia
Krasnoyarskie AV
01/13/1998 Tor Kach, Pakistan
Ariana Afghan AL
03/23/2000 Kadirana, Sri Lanka
OMSK

Hijacking (resulting in fatalities)

07/16/1948 Pacific Ocean
Cathay Pacific AW
11/01/1958 Nipe Bay, Cuba
Cubana
04/28/1960 Calabozo, Venezuela
Linea Aero. Venezolana
1/23/1971 Korean Air Lines
Sokcho, South Korea
12/06/1971 Tikaka, Sudan
Sudan AW
05/28/1973 Chita, Russia
Aeroflot
09/15/1974 Phan Rang, Vietnam
Air Vietnam
05/23/1976 Zamboanga, Philippines
Philippine AL
06/27/1976 Entebbe, Uganda
Air France
12/04/1977 Kampung Ladang, Malaysia
Malaysia AL
06/14/1985 Athens, Greece
Trans World AL
11/24/1985 Luqa, Malta
Egyptair
09/16/1986 Karachi, Pakistan
Pan American AW
12/25/1986 Ay, Saudi Arabia
Iraqi AW
07/24/1987 Geneva, Switzerland
Air Afrique
04/05/1988 Combi, Cyprus
Kuwait AW
10/02/1990 Guangzhou, China
Xiamen/China SW AL
08/28/1993 Khorag, Tajikistan
Tadzhikistan Nat. AL
12/26/1994 Algiers, Algeria
Air France
11/23/1996 Moroni, Comoros Islands
Ethiopian AL
07/23/1999 Tokyo, Japan
All Nippon AW
09/11/2001 New York City, New York
American Airlines
09/11/2001 New York City, New York
United Airlines
09/11/2001 Washington, D.C.
American Airlines
09/11/2001 Somerset County, Pennsylvania
United Airlines

Lightning

07/22/1938 Stulpica, Romania
LOT
08/31/1940 Lovettsville, Virginia
Penn Central AL
01/17/1951 Civitavecchia, Italy
Alitalia
06/26/1959 Varese, Italy
Trans World AL
08/29/1960 Dakar, Senegal
Air France
07/19/1961 Azul, Brazil
Aerolineas Argentinas
12/19/1962 Warsaw, Poland
LOT
08/12/1963 Lyon, France
Air Inter
12/08/1963 Elkton, Maryland
Pan American AW
12/24/1971 Puerto Inca, Peru
Lineas Aereas Nacionales
05/09/1976 Madrid, Spain
Iran Air Force
02/08/1988 Mulheim, Germany
NFD
06/22/2000 Shitai, China
Wuhan AL

Overloading / Improper Loading of Aircraft

03/14/1942 Kunming, China
CNAC
01/17/1956 Oreway, Canada
Quebecair
06/07/1949 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Strato Feight
12/08/1956 Caqueta, Colombia
AIDA
10/29/1960 Toledo, Ohio
Arctic Pacific Air
10/02/1970 Silver Plume, Colorado
Golden Eagle Av. Inc.
09/02/1981 Paipa, Colombia
Taxi Aereo el Venado
10/30/1981 Bafoussam, Cameroon
Cameroon AL
12/22/1991 Heidelberg, Germany
Classic Wings
07/20/1992 Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgian Air
11/11/1992 Tver-Kallinen, Russia
Aeroflot
08/26/1993 Aldan, Russia
Sakha AL
08/28/1993 Khorag, Tajikistan
Tadzhikistan Nat. AL
12/13/1995 Verona, Italy
Romanian Banat Air
12/18/1995 Kahengula, Angola
Trans Service Airlift
11/27/1996 Abakan, Siberia, Russia
Russian Air Force
11/30/1996 Medellin, Colombia
ACES
05/26/1998 Erdenet, Mongolia
MIAT
01/15/2000 San Jose, Costa Rica
TACA

Pilot Incapacitation

10/30/1959 Waynesborough, Virginia
Piedmont AL
12/14/1962 Burbank, California
Flying Tiger Line
10/06/1965 Centennial, Wyoming
United AL
04/22/1966 Ardmore, Oklahoma
American Flyers AL
03/13/1967 East London, South Africa
South African AW
01/14/1970 Mt. Pumacona, Peru
Faucett
06/18/1972 Staines, Surrey, England
British European AW
10/13/1972 Krasnaya, Polyana, USSR
Aeroflot
02/09/1982 Tokyo, Japan
Japan AL
03/31/1995 Balotesti, Romania
Trans. Aeriene Rom.

Pilots Shot by Passenger

05/07/1964 San Ramon, California
Pacific AL
12/04/1977 Kampung Ladang, Malaysia
Malaysian AL
12/07/1987 San Luis Obispo, California
Pacific Southwest AL
California Airspace
Air Disasters - Common Carrier Liability
In all airplane accident cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. If you or a loved one is a victim of an airplane accident, call the Law Office of Steven L. Weiner & Associates now at 1-800-704-0151. The consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.

Historical Causes of Each Disaster - Airplane Crash


Air Traffic Control Error

06/13/1947 Leesburg, Virginia
Pen Central Air
11/11/1949 Arlington, Virginia
Eastern / U.S. AF
04/14/1958 Castel de Fels, Spain
Aviaco
07/21/1961 Shemya, Alaska
Alaska AL
02/08/1965 New York, New York
Eastern AL
01/14/1970 Mt. Pumacona, Peru
Faucett
02/06/1970 Samarkand, USSR
Aeroflot
12/20/1972 Chicago, Illinois
Delta/North Central
09/09/1976 Adler, Russia
Aeroflot-Aeroflot
09/10/1976 Gaj, Yugoslavia
Inex-British AW
08/11/1979 Dneprodzerzhinsk, USSR
Aeroflot
02/01/1991 Los Angeles, California
USAir/Skywest
05/19/1993 Medellin, Colombia
SAM
11/07/1996 Lagos, Nigeria
Aviation Dev. Corp.
09/26/1997 Buah Nabar, Indonesia Garuda
Indonesian AL

Bird Strike

10/04/1960 Boston, Massachusetts
Eastern AL
11/23/1962 Ellicott, Maryland
United AL
09/15/1988 Bahar Dar, Ethiopia
Ethiopian AL
04/18/1990 Off Panama Aero Perlas
09/22/1995 Anchorage, Alaska
U.S. Air Force

Cargo Hold-Cabin Fire

07/09/1945 Florence, South Carolina
Eastern AL
06/17/1948 Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania
United AL
08/02/1949 Jaquirana, Brazil
Varig
01/09/1964 Zarate, Argentina
Aero Litoral Argentina
07/09/1964 Parrottsville, Tennesee
United AL
07/26/1969 Biskra, Algeria
Air Algerie
08/14/1972 Konigs, East Germany
Interflug
08/31/1972 Magnitogorsk, Russia
Aeroflot
07/11/1973 Paris, Orly, France
Varig
11/03/1973 Boston, Massachusetts
Pan American
11/26/1979 Ta'if, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Pakistan Inter. AL
08/19/1980 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian AL
12/24/1982 Guangzhou, China
CAAC
06/02/1983 Covington, Kentucky
Air Canada
07/02/1986 Syktyvar, Russia
Aeroflot
05/09/1987 Warsaw, Poland
LOT
11/28/1987 Mauritius, Indian Ocean
South African Airways
01/13/1990 Pervouralsk, Russia
Aeroflot
07/12/1995 Gumey, New Guinea
Milne Bay Air
05/11/1996 Everglades, Florida
ValuJet
09/02/1998 Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
Swissair

Design Flaw

03/31/1933 Bazaar, Kansas
Trans Cont. & Western AW
10/24/1947 Bryce Canyon, Utah
United AL
11/11/1947 Gallup, New Mexico
American AL
06/17/1948 Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania
United AL
08/29/1948 Winona, Minnesota
Northwest Orient AL
05/02/1953 Jalalogori, India
British Overseas AW
01/10/1954 Elba, Italy
British Overseas AW
04/08/1954 Off Stromboli, Italy
Trans Canada AL
02/05/1955 Calabar, Nigeria
West African AW
09/29/1959 Buffalo, Texas
Braniff AL
03/17/1960 Tell City, Indiana
Northwest Orient AL
07/05/1970 Toronto, Canada
Air Canada
07/06/1982 Moscow, Russia
Aeroflot
07/30/1992 New York, New York
Trans World AL
04/06/1993 Over the Pacific Ocean China
Eastern AL

Sabotage - Explosive Device

03/28/1933 Dixmude, Belgium
Imperial AW
10/10/1933 Chesterton, Indiana
United AL
05/07/1949 Sibuyan Sea, Philippines
Phillipine AL
09/09/1949 Sault-aux-Cochons, Canada
Canadian Pacific AL
08/12/1952 Palmeria de Goias, Brazil
Trans Aero Nac.
04/11/1955 Great Natuna Island, Sarawak 
Air India
11/01/1955 Longmont, Colorado
United AL
07/25/1957 Daggett, California
Western AL
04/17/1959 Puerto Kino, Mexico
Tigres Voladores
09/06/1959 Poza Rica, Mexico
Mexicana
11/16/1959 Gulf of Mexico
National AL
01/06/1960 Bolivia, North Carolina
National AL
05/10/1961 In Amenas, Libya
Air France
05/22/1962 Unionville, Missouri
Continental AL
12/08/1964 Tripuani, Bolivia
Aerolineas Abaroa
07/08/1965 Dog Creek, British Columbia
Canadian Pacific AL
11/22/1966 Aden, Yemen
Aden AW
02/09/1967 Mexico City, Mexico
Cubana
10/12/1967 Rhodes, Greece
British European AW
12/22/1969 Nha Trang, Vietnam
Air Vietnam
02/21/1970 Zurich, Switzerland
Swissair
04/21/1970 Manila, Philippines
Philippine AL
11/21/1971 Penhu Island, Taiwan
China AL
01/26/1972 Hermsdorf, Czechoslovakia
JAT
06/15/1972 Pleiku, Vietnam
Cathay Pacific AW
03/19/1973 Ben Me Thout, South Vietnam
Air Vietnam
04/21/1973 Patabangan, Philippines
Philippine AL
12/17/1973 Rome, Italy
Pan American AW
09/08/1974 Ionian Sea, Greece
Trans World AL
01/01/1976 Al Qaysumah, Saudi Arabia
Middle East AL
10/06/1976 Bridgetown, Barbados
Cubana
02/19/1979 Barentu, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Airlines
06/27/1980 Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy
Itavia
12/21/1980 Rio Hacha, Colombia
Trans. Aereos del Caribe
09/23/1983 Mina Jebel Ali, UAE
Gulf Air
06/23/1985 Atlantic Ocean, Ireland
Air India
04/02/1986 Athens, Greece
Trans World AL
05/03/1986 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Air Lanka
11/29/1987Andaman Sea
Korean AL
03/01/1988 Johannesberg, South Africa
Comair
12/21/1988 Lockerbie, Scotland
Pan American AW
09/19/1989 Bilma, Niger
Union des Trans. Aeriens
11/27/1989 Bogota, Colombia
Avianca
07/19/1994 Colon, Panama
Alas Chiricanas
12/11/1994 Pacific Ocean, Okinawa
Philippine AL
07/09/1997 Suzano, Brazil
TAM
03/03/2001 Bangkok, Thailand
Thai Airways
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Each personal injury lawyer and wrongful death attorney at the Law Office of Steven L. Weiner & Associates provides comprehensive legal advice and lawsuit representation to clients across Central, Southern and Northern California, including Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Oakland, San Jose, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Diego and Los Angeles.
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Each personal injury lawyer and wrongful death attorney at the Law Offices of Steven L. Weiner & Associates provides comprehensive legal advice and lawsuit representation to clients across Central, Southern and Northern California, including Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Oakland, San Mateo, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego.