Barcelona airport accident claims
By Olivia Willan. Last updated 23rd September 2021. Welcome to our Barcelona airport accident claims guide. Airports can be hectic, busy places, with numerous activities going on all at one time, with holidaymakers, business travellers and staff all moving in different directions. We have produced this online guide for those who may have been injured or become ill through no fault of their own at Barcelona airport and would like clarification on where they stand legally. An accident at Barcelona Airport could potentially happen in different areas and be caused by different reasons.
Whether you were injured or became ill in Barcelona Airport arrivals or departures, while boarding or disembarking the flight, or another part of the airport if it was caused by the actions of a third party you could be eligible to make a claim. You may be wondering if you need to make a Barcelona Airport complaint before you proceed with a claim, but this is not the case.
Contents
To answer any other questions you may have about making a claim for a Barcelona Airport accident, we have put together this guide which contains plenty of useful information. In it, you will find information on making a no win no fee personal injury claim, as well as examples of the kind of accidents that may occur in an airport. This guide also contains information on the varied personal injury claims time limits that apply to most cases.
We hope you find what you need in this guide, but if you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us. Our advisors are ready to take your call on 0800 073 8801, or alternatively, you can use our online contact form to have us call you back at a time that suits you best.
Could I have grounds to make Barcelona airport accident claims?
If you’re wondering whether you could have grounds to make a personal injury claim, the best way to determine your rights is to speak to one of our specialist advisors today. They can give you a free consultation and tell you whether you could be entitled to compensation or not, as well as how our panel of personal injury lawyers could help. In order to have grounds to make a claim, you’ll need to have evidence that you suffered due to third-party negligence. If you can prove this then it’s worth getting in touch.
Select A Section
- A Guide to Claims For Accidents Suffered At Barcelona Airport
- What Is An Accident At Barcelona Airport?
- Aviation Safety At Barcelona Airport And Spain
- Potential Airport Safety Hazards
- Airport Slips / Trips Or Falls
- Airport Shop And Restaurant Accidents
- Accidents With Baggage And Baggage Carousels
- Accidents Moving Around The Airport Terminal
- Airport Vehicle Accidents
- How Does The Personal Injury Claim Process Work In Spain?
- Will I Have To Use A Spanish Solicitor?
- Accident Claims Calculator
- Special Damages Victims Of Airport Accidents Could Claim
- Why Choose Our Airport Accident Claims Team For Your Claim?
- No Win No Fee Claims For Accidents At Barcelona Airport
- Start Your Barcelona Airport Accident Claim
- Related Spanish Holiday Accident Claims Guides
A Guide to Claims For Accidents Suffered At Barcelona Airport
Accidents can happen anywhere, some are the fault of no one while others can be caused by hazards that should have been cleared had the correct health and safety policies been adhered to. If you have become ill or been injured at Barcelona Airport by the negligent actions of a third party who owed you a duty of care it may be possible for you to claim.
Throughout this guide, you will find sections that can help you understand what an airport accident consists of, what kinds of damages you might be able to claim after an accident regardless of whether it happened at an airport or somewhere else, as well as a brief explanation about how a personal injury claim in Spain works. We have even included some information on the limitation period for personal injury claims in Spain, which is different from that in the UK and may affect your claim, depending on the circumstances.
The circumstances of your claim are very important in determining under which law your claim might be handled. There are different ways in which an accident may occur and depend on how it occurs, where it occurs and how you booked your holiday your claim could be handled under UK law, Spanish law or through the Montreal Convention which acts as international law. See below for more information.
What Is An Accident At Barcelona Airport?
Before we begin our Barcelona airport accident claims guide, let’s look at how accidents could happen. When people imagine an airport accident, a plane crash may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, an accident at an airport could include a wide range of incidents, resulting in injuries of all kinds possibly even illnesses. They can vary between some of the following, which are only examples and not an exhaustive list:
- Food poisoning in airport restaurants or allergic reactions
- A slip, trip or fall while boarding or disembarking a flight, or while moving about the airport
- Accidents on a shuttle bus while moving to and from a flight or between terminals
There are potentially different scenarios in which a person may become injured in an accident at Barcelona Airport if health and safety standards were allowed to slip below those expected by law if the accident was caused by the actions of a third party who breached their duty of care causing avoidable injuries to another the right to claim may exist.
In the following sections, we will explore some of the ways an airport accident could cause you to become ill or injured through no fault of your own. If your accident is not mentioned here and you are not sure if it gives you a valid reason to claim, we recommend you contact us for advice, and we may be able to tell you if you have a claim.
Aviation Safety At Barcelona Airport And Spain
According to their profile on the Aviation Safety Network, Barcelona Airport can be seen to have a good safety record. The most recent recorded Barcelona Airport crash was in 2011, operated by Air Nostrum, A Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200ER, which suffered serious damages in a landing accident at Barcelona Airport (BCN), Spain. There were no serious injuries and no fatalities to any passengers and crew which amounted to 38.
Potential Airport Safety Hazards
In an airport, there are a wide array of facilities such as restaurants, shops, cafés, lifts, escalators, check-in desks, luggage collection, baggage carousels etc. Accidents have the potential to happen anywhere especially if there is poor maintenance along with failure to mitigate hazards.
Hazards that could cause an airport accident could include wet floors in a shop or terminal unhygienically handled food which could cause food poisoning in an airport restaurant, trip hazards like exposed wiring in walkways, etc. Although airports are required to take measures to prevent accidents, if staff do not adhere to health and safety practices there is potential for an accident or incident causing harm to happen.
There is also the potential for accidents while passengers are coming to and from the aircraft across the runway or tarmac to the terminal. This includes injuries from being hit by airport vehicles, injured by loud engines, engine blasts or even a slip trip and fall. It is also possible for accidents to happen while being transported to aircraft or between terminals in a shuttle bus if staff are not appropriately trained in how to operate the vehicle or there is a vehicle collision.
Airport Slips / Trips Or Falls
As we have explored above, there are different ways in which a person could become injured at an airport. Among these, could be a slip, trip or fall accident, caused by a wide array of different hazards. These accidents can happen inside the airport, while in shops, restaurants, toilets, etc. These types of accidents can also happen while you are boarding or disembarking a flight, or in the airport car park or outside area surrounding an airport.
Accidents causing injuries that could have been prevented that happen while on an aircraft, debarkation or embarking on an aeroplane may be pursued under the Montreal Convention please note there is a shorter time limit here when making a claim so please call our advisors for more information.
For more information on slip, trip or fall in Spain claims, see our page on our website or contact us today for free, no-obligation legal advice. Alternatively, you can find information about accidents in restaurants or shops in the next section of our Barcelona airport accident claims guide.
Airport Shop And Restaurant Accidents
Shops and restaurants in Barcelona Airport have a duty of care to provide passengers and staff alike a safe and healthy environment. Slips, trips and falls could be caused by items that have fallen on the floor, slip hazards from spillages, etc. It is also possible for a person to get food poisoning from incorrectly prepared or mishandled food. Another possibility may include burn injuries caused by spillages of hot liquids. If your injuries or illness were caused by the negligent actions of another it may be possible for you to claim. Contact us for further clarification on claiming for an avoidable injury or illness from an airport restaurant in Spain.
Accidents With Baggage And Baggage Carousels
Almost everyone who passes through an airport will carry luggage with them. This luggage can include small onboard bags, backpacks, wheelie bags and suitcases which they will need to carry through the airport, or deposit at a check-in desk. Luggage that is checked in will need to be collected at the destination airport via the luggage carousel. If the carousel is not stacked correctly, if luggage and baggage are placed on top of each other or are hanging off the carousel there is potential for the items to fall off onto a passenger. It is important that baggage handlers correctly stack the baggage carousel so as not to cause unnecessary injuries.
Accidents Moving Around The Airport Terminal
There are many different ways to move around an airport, and these can include escalators, staircases, elevators, or even travellators. Maintenance of such facilities needs to be done regularly to ensure that there are no faults or hazards that could cause an accident to happen.
For example, faults could allow your clothing to become trapped in moving parts of an elevator, escalator or travellator which could cause crushing injuries to a passenger. You could fall down a stairwell because of an unstable handle. You could get caught in lift doors that failed to stop closing as you passed through due to a malfunction. Often such facilities are maintained by third parties rather than the airports themselves, if they failed to maintain these to an acceptable standard the risk of an accident is present.
Airport Vehicle Accidents
It is common for airports to have more than one terminal, and sometimes it may be necessary for passengers to be moved from one terminal to another in order to board a flight or after coming in on a flight. Airport transfers usually involve passengers boarding a shuttle bus or other airport vehicles in order to safely move them across the runway or between terminals. If such vehicles again are not maintained or staff not appropriately trained there is the potential for an accident to happen.
In the next section of our Barcelona airport accident claims guide, we’ll move on to discussing relevant legislation that could affect your eligibility for compensation.
How Does The Personal Injury Claim Process Work In Spain?
The system surrounding personal injury under Spanish law can be different to that in the UK and the circumstances of your accident, where it happened and how you booked may determine whether your case is handled according to UK law, Spanish law or under the Montreal Convention. The limitation period for personal injury claims in Spain is 12 months, but this can vary greatly according to certain situations, as there can be extensions or interruptions to the time limit. In the UK, the time limit is commonly three years for most claims, but this can also vary.
The Baremo System
In Spain, the Baremo system is used to assess compensation amounts awarded in the cases of Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) and personal injury claims. Having originally been used for RTAs, the Baremo has been updated since 2016 to include all personal injury claims. The update takes into account different damages a person may suffer, such as basic, personal and material damages. In the UK, the Judicial College Guidelines are used to value general damages under English law, which could change the number of potential compensation awards. The JC Guidelines are used to determine how much compensation in terms of general damages, financial losses come under a separate heading known as special damages.
To find out if a personal injury lawyer could assist you in making a claim for injuries suffered while in Barcelona Airport, contact us today. You can also contact us today if you need further advice on the time limits that may apply to your case.
Will I Have To Use A Spanish Solicitor?
It is common for people who have been involved in an accident in an airport abroad to ask if they need to use a personal injury lawyer from that country to make a claim. The fact is, every case is different, and as we have mentioned, different countries laws may be applied to your case according to the circumstances.
For example, negligent accidents causing avoidable injuries that happen while on an entity of a package holiday booked using a UK tour provider could be handled under UK law against a UK based tour provider, or it could be handled under the Montreal Convention that applies to accidents on international flights. Conversely, if an accident happens on a privately booked holiday and has valid grounds for a claim it may be pursued under the laws of that specific country.
Contact us today for more information on if we could help you with your claim.
Accident Claims Calculator
At this point in our Barcelona airport accident claims guide, we’ll explore how compensation amounts are calculated. We have included a table of figures below which have been taken from the Judicial College Guidelines that are used in English law when calculating compensation settlements in terms of general damages. If your claim is conducted under Spanish laws these figures may alter as these are for claims pursued under English law.
| Injury | Severity | Amounts | Comments on severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Injury | Moderate | £140,870 to £205,580 | This bracket covers injuries that result in significant impairment of intellectual function and a change in personality. There may also be an effect on the senses, such as sight, as well as effects on speech. There may also be an increased risk of epilepsy and no prospects of employment. |
| Head Injury | Minor | £2,070 to £11,980 | This bracket covers a wide range of possible minor injuries to the head, the severity of which may affect the award accordingly. Factors include severity, how long symptoms persist for, and the presence of headaches. |
| Neck Injury | Minor | £4,080 to £7,410 | This bracket covers minor soft tissues injuries that can develop from a neck injury. Award levels are affected by severity, persisting symptoms. This award amount is commonly given for injuries that recover within one to two years. |
| Shoulder Injury | Serious | £11,980 to £18,020 | This bracket includes rotator cuff, soft tissue injuries that leads to permanent intrusive symptoms. It also covers dislocations of the shoulder that damage the brachial plexus, leading to an array of symptoms, such as sensory issues in the forearm and hand, pain in the shoulder, elbow and arm, as well as fractures to the humerus that extend into the joint, affecting mobility. |
| Arm Injury | Severe | £90,250 to £122,860 | In this bracket, injuries that fall just below complete amputation of the arm are covered. The arm may remain, but mobility has been affected to the point that the person has no use of the arm and is in a similar position as someone who had it amputated entirely. |
| Back Injury | Moderate | £26,050 to £36,390 | This bracket includes compression or crush injuries to the lumbar vertebrae, leading to slipped discs, constant pain and discomfort, which may result in the need to spinal fusion to rectify. This can also include slipped discs that require corrective surgery, or that damaged nerve roots, resulting in loss of mobility. |
| Hip Injury | Severe | £36,770 to £49,270 | This bracket covers hip injuries that result in hip replacement or presents a future need to hip replacement surgery. It also includes injuries to the socket of the hip, leading to degeneration of the hip and instability which may lead to corrective surgery in future. The bracket can be affected by the success of hip replacement surgery, and if there may need to be revision surgery in the future. |
| Leg Injury | Very Serious | £51,460 to £85,600 | This bracket includes injuries that involve multiple fractures that take a long time to heal, as well as require extensive treatment. Common symptoms in this bracket include deformity, loss of mobility and the need for walking aids for the rest of the person’s life, as well as an increased possibility of needing surgical treatment for arthritis later in life. |
| Knee Injury | Moderate | Up to £12,900 | This bracket includes damage to ligaments, cartilage, the meniscus, as well as dislocation, lacerations and bruising injuries that result in continuous aching and pain, and instability in the joint. This bracket can also include exacerbation of existing injuries and conditions. |
| Food Poisoning | Serious | £8,950 to £18,020 | This bracket covers symptoms of serious but short-term food poisoning, resulting in vomiting and diarrhoea that last up to two to four weeks. This includes symptoms severe enough to impair regular bowel functions, sex life and enjoyment of food. |
It is important to note that the figures shown above are only indicative and may change accordingly. Contact us today if you have any other questions about award amounts or estimates that may be more relevant to your individual situation.
Special Damages Victims Of Airport Accidents Could Claim
You may be wondering what you could claim for if you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault, and what are in fact different types of damage that could be claimed for.
We have discussed general damages above in regards to amounts for pain and suffering. You could also claim for special damages, which include mainly financial losses experienced as a result of your injuries. These include travel costs, medical expenses, loss of earnings and future earnings, property damage, etc. Every claim is different, and which kind of special damages you can claim will depend on the circumstances of your case.
Why Choose Our Airport Accident Claims Team For Your Claim?
Our advisors are ready and waiting to answer all of your questions, as well as help you understand the process of making a personal injury claim. Our advisors know exactly what information is needed in starting up a claim and will not waste your time on the phone with irrelevant questions. Contact us today to find out how we could help you.
No Win No Fee Claims For Accidents At Barcelona Airport
Here at Accident Claim UK, we handle all of our personal injury claims on a no win no fee basis, including Barcelona airport accident claims. A no win no fee claim is based on a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which states that if your claim is not successful, then you are not required to cover the personal legal fees of your solicitor. In the event that the case is won, however, fees for your solicitor are deducted from the amount awarded.
It is important to note here that the amount a solicitor can expect for fees is capped at a maximum of 25% of the overall amount awarded. Fees and costs should all be discussed and agreed upon with your solicitor prior to proceeding with a claim. You can contact us using our details below for more information on making a no win on fee claim.
Start Your Barcelona Airport Accident Claim
To contact us for information on making Barcelona airport accident claims, you can reach us on 0800 073 8801 or use our online contact form to arrange an appropriate time for us to call you back.
Related Spanish Holiday Accident Claims Guides
You have now reached the end of our Barcelona airport accident claims guide. To conclude, we’ll leave you with some further resources that may be of use to you:
- Package Holiday Claims In Spain – See our online guide for more information on claiming for a package holiday illness or injury.
- Personal Injury Claims In Spain Guide – How To Claim Compensation For A Spain Accident Claim?
- Foreign Travel Advice Spain – See this government page on travelling in Spain.
- The Carriage By Air Acts (Implementation Of The Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2002 – See this government legislation page for more information on the Montreal Convention.
Thank you for reading our guide on Barcelona airport accident claims today.
Article by JF