While rare compared to other types of motor-vehicle crashes, aircraft accidents do happen regularly, usually with devastating results. Despite significant safety improvements over the past decades, many people each year experience the pain of losing someone in an airplane crash.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there was an overall decline in the number of US-registered civil aviation accidents. The number of civil aviation accidents fell from 1,539 in 2012 to 1,297 in 2013. The number of accidents involving commuter aircraft increased from four in 2012 to eight in 2013, with three fatal accidents.

What are common aviation safety hazards in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo?

• foreign object debris;
• missing or misleading information to the pilot;
• lightening;
• ice and snow;
• engine and structural failures;
• stalling;
• fire.

Small-plane crashes in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo - safety rates are not improving

While safety statistics for large commercial planes have been improving steadily for decades, the accident rate in personal flights has increased by 20% in the past decade, and the fatality rate for personal flights is up 25%.

When someone is injured in an aircraft accident in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, or San Luis Obispo, what needs to happen next?

When someone is injured, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost. The major hospitals in the area include:

• Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital;
• Santa Maria Family Medicine;
• Santa Maria Care Center;
• San Luis Obispo Surgery Center;
• Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center;
• French Hospital Medical Center.

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy.

When an accident results in a serious injury or a fatality, get help from a Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo aircraft accident attorney

When an injury is serious or a death occurs, the next step is to find an experienced Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo aircraft accident attorney to start the financial recovery process by launching an insurance claim. Major injury or wrongful death claims are complicated and can be hard to manage without legal help. An experienced aircraft crash lawyer understands that aircraft crash claims are more complicated than other types of claims, since there are more entities involved including aircraft owners, operators, maintenance companies, and often multiple insurance policies. Since most personal injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency basis, meaning that there are no up-front costs and all fees are paid when the claim is settled, there is no downside to speaking with an Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer right away.