Long Island Flight Attendant Injury Lawyer

The New York City area is home to three of the nation’s busiest airports, with most airlines having a hub in at least one of them. As a result, the area is the home base for thousands of flight attendants, and many thousands more pass through each day. While it may not seem like a particularly dangerous occupation, there were 4,980 cases of nonfatal workplace injuries among flight attendants in 2019. Those injuries and illnesses occurred at a rate of 517.0 per 10,000 full-time workers — far higher than the 86.9 rates across all private industries. Flight attendants who are injured on the job may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, as our Long Island workers’ comp lawyer explains. 

Are Flight Attendants Eligible for Workers’ Comp in New York? 

As private-sector employees, flight attendants are eligible for workers’ comp benefits. The primary eligibility criteria for workers’ comp benefits is that the employee suffered a work-related injury, which generally refers to any injury that occurs within the scope of the employee’s work duties. To preserve their eligibility for benefits, injured workers must do three things immediately after their injuries occur: first, obtain necessary medical care, and second, notify their employers of the injury as soon as possible. The employee must then file Form C-3 with the state Workers’ Compensation Board within two years of the date of the injury.

Our Long Island Flight Attendant Attorney Outlines Common Workplace Injuries

Being a flight attendant is a physically demanding job that requires extensive travel and long hours of standing on one’s feet. This line of work can result in numerous injuries, such as: 

• Repetitive motion injuries
• Injuries due to excessive air turbulence 
• Back and spinal injuries from bending over and reaching into overhead bins
• Back and spinal injuries from lifting customer baggage
• Blunt-force injuries from passenger baggage falling out of overhead bins
• Slips and falls in airports 
• Accidents on shuttle buses between airports and hotels
• Assaults by unruly passengers 

Any of these injuries can be significant and result in weeks or even months away from work, as well as extensive medical bills. A Long Island workers’ comp lawyer can help you recover both physically and financially through a workers’ compensation claim. 

Workers’ Comp Benefits Available for Flight Attendants 

Workers’ comp benefits for nonfatal injuries come in two varieties: medical benefits and cash benefits. Medical benefits cover the total cost of necessary medical care due to the work-related injury up to the full cost of treatment. The amount of cash benefits a claimant is eligible to receive depends upon his or her weekly wages before the injury and the severity of the injury but is generally capped at two-thirds of the claimant’s former weekly wage, up to certain maximums. 

Flight Attendant Working Conditions and Risks

Airline travel today is significantly safer than was in decades past, but also significantly less enjoyable. The days of onboard glitz and glamor in the airline industry are long gone, having been replaced with sweatpants and iPads. As primary customer-facing airline personnel, flight attendants often bear the brunt of the risks of modern air travel, including unruly passengers.

Some of the most common injuries flight attendants suffer include: 

• Slips, trips, and falls 
• Injuries from lifting heavy loads
• Muscle strain from long periods of standing
• Bending and twisting injuries
• Being struck by falling luggage 
• Exposure to loud noises 
• Shift work disorder
• Turbulence-related injuries 
• Assault and battery by passengers 
• Infectious illnesses

Exposure to these risks and injuries over the course of many years can result in several disorders, including: 

• Musculoskeletal disorders (i.e., caused by repetitive motions, force, vibration, and awkward positions) 
• Head injuries
• Broken and sprained bones
• Bruises, lacerations, and disfigurement
• Insomnia and other sleep disorders 
• Hearing loss

These injuries, in some cases, can be severe enough to put their sufferers out of work; if you are out of work due to a flight attendant injury, you should consider speaking to our Long Island flight attendant injury attorneys.  

Workers’ Comp Benefits Available for Flight Attendants

A primary challenge in many workers’ compensation claims is showing a causal link between the worker’s job duties and his or her injuries — i.e., proving that the injury was work-related. Flight attendants can do this by presenting one or more of the following types of evidence: 

• Witness statements: Fortunately for flight attendants, there are likely to be many witnesses to whatever accident causes their injury, making this an ideal form of evidence
• Security footage: Flight attendants are also fortunate in that most airplane cabins are equipped with security cameras, which may pick up footage of the accident
• Injury reports: A flight attendant could use an injury report to show an injury consistent with a work-related hazard, for example, by showing a head injury consistent with luggage falling from an overhead bin
• Medical records: For occupational illnesses, flight attendants can submit past medical records showing a steady progression of their illness or injury 

For more information about proving that your injury was work-related, please contact a Long Island flight attendant injury attorney. 

Statistics and Facts About Flight Attendant Injuries

Flight attendants are exposed to many different types of hazards. According to 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these were the rates of flight attendant injuries that year: 

• Overexertion and bodily reaction (185.8 per 10,000 full-time workers)
• Transportation incidents (113.3)
• Contact with objects and equipment (94.1)
• Falls, slips, and trips (64.9)
• Exposure to harmful substances or environments (44.2)
• Violence and other injuries by persons or animals (14.4)

Even conditions that pose little to no risk to passengers can be dangerous for flight attendants. The Federal Aviation Administration reports that, from 2009-2022, there were a total of 163 serious injuries due to turbulence. Of those, 129 — nearly 80% — were injuries to the flight crew.

Contact a Long Island Flight Attendant Injury Lawyer 

If you are a flight attendant who has suffered an injury on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ comp benefits. For more information or to get help with a claim, please contact a Long Island workers comp lawyer at Turley, Redmond, Rosasco & Rosasco by using our online form or calling 877-693-2529. We have offices in Nassau County and Suffolk County.