The Law Firm of Motley Rice LLC - Aviation Safety Litigation, Airplane Crashes, Mary Schiavo

The airlines owe the duty of highest care to their passengers. Aviation safety and security is the responsibility of the aviation industry (the major airlines, their security companies, the airports, airline trade associations (i.e. the American Transport Association and their lobbying groups)).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is charged with assessing the level of threat to commercial aviation based on information received from intelligence sources. The FAA is then to establish procedures to address this level of threat and purports to attempt to enforce those procedures within the aviation industry. The aviation industry is responsible for implementing the procedures and in doing so, owes the highest, most stringent standard of care to its passengers. The airlines purchase insurance against airplane crashes and other aviation disasters. They recognize the known risks, including hijacking and terrorism, and pass these costs on to their passengers.

The FAA, airports, and the aviation industry are provided with information from various intelligence and law enforcement agencies; and are to develop contingency plans to meet threat levels, including the use of sophisticated screening equipment. There are numerous examples of how the airlines - and others - failed to protect their passengers and the general public on September 11th, 2001.