When an aviation accident upends your life, you need answers built on investigation, not assumption.
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When an Aircraft Accident Meets Federal Law
Federal law defines an aviation accident broadly: any occurrence tied to aircraft operation that causes death, serious injury, or substantial damage to the aircraft, whether it happens mid-flight or on the ground during boarding, taxiing, or landing. That definition covers everything from a commercial airliner incident to a single-engine plane going down in a field outside the metro.
Atlanta sits at the center of that risk more than most cities. Hartsfield-Jackson, spanning Clayton and Fulton counties, has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998, and DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee ranks among the busiest general aviation airports in the country. Charter flights, medical transport, and agricultural aviation add even more traffic across the surrounding counties.
Georgia generally gives injury victims two years to file suit under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, though the mix of parties in an aviation case can complicate that timeline. If you or someone you love was hurt in an aircraft accident anywhere in the Atlanta area, the attorneys at Turnbull, Moak & Pendergrass investigate what actually happened before anyone settles on a convenient explanation.
Why Choose Turnbull, Moak & Pendergrass
Aviation cases are not typical personal injury claims, and they should not be handled by a firm that treats them like one. Turnbull, Moak & Pendergrass built its reputation on catastrophic injury litigation, the kind of cases where the opposing side has more lawyers, more resources, and no intention of writing a fair check without a fight.
Ready to Go to Trial From the First Call
Our attorneys have tried cases to verdict in courtrooms across multiple states, work directly with aviation and engineering experts, and prepare every case as though it is headed to trial from the first phone call. That preparation matters most in aviation claims, where the parties on the other side are often airlines, manufacturers, and their insurers, not individuals.
We Work With a Person, Not a File Number
We also believe experience and empathy are not opposites. Every client who calls us is a person whose life changed in a moment they never saw coming, and we treat the case that way, not as a file number on a shelf.
What the Federal Data Shows
General aviation has gotten measurably safer in recent years. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 2024 recorded the lowest general aviation fatal accident rate since the agency began tracking it in 2009, helped by improvements among experimental, amateur-built, and helicopter operations.
Even so, the FAA's own data shows fatal accidents still numbered 200 in the most recent full year on record, resulting in 335 deaths nationwide across a general aviation fleet of more than 275,000 aircraft.
Georgia carries a meaningful share of that traffic. Between Hartsfield-Jackson's commercial volume and DeKalb-Peachtree's standing as one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, Atlanta's skies are some of the most active in the nation, and that activity brings real risk along with it.
What Usually Goes Wrong Before a Crash
The FAA and NTSB attribute most fatal general aviation accidents to a consistent set of causes:
- Loss of control during flight
- Mechanical or power system failure
- Controlled flight into terrain
- Flying into deteriorating weather
- Fuel mismanagement
- Pilot error, fatigue, or impairment
- Midair collisions
- Maintenance errors or overlooked defects
Commercial accidents tend to trace back to a narrower set of causes, most often mechanical failure, air traffic control errors, or maintenance oversights, since commercial pilots operate under stricter training and oversight requirements than general aviation.
Our Roster of Attorneys The Trial Team Insurance Companies Don’t Want on Your Case
From Commercial Airliners to Small Private Planes
- Commercial airline accidents
- General aviation and private aircraft accidents
- Helicopter accidents, including medical transport and tour flights
- Charter and air taxi accidents
- Agricultural aviation accidents
- Ground accidents during boarding, taxiing, or landing
Each type carries its own investigative process and its own set of potentially liable parties, which is why an early, thorough case review matters regardless of the size of the aircraft involved.
Frequently Asked Questions Aviation Accident Attorneys in Atlanta
Will the NTSB investigation affect my civil case?
It can run alongside your claim without controlling it. NTSB findings aren't admissible as proof of fault in civil court, but the factual record the agency develops, black box data, and maintenance history, among them, often become central evidence either way.
What if the airline and the manufacturer each blame the other?
That happens often, and it's exactly why cases move slowly for people who wait to get a lawyer involved. We name every plausible defendant early rather than waiting for the parties to finish pointing fingers at each other.
Does it matter if the flight was international?
It can. International flights may fall under treaty rules like the Montreal Convention, which affect where you're able to sue and how damages are calculated. A flight that stayed within Georgia doesn't raise that complication.
Do I have to pay anything up front?
No. Turnbull, Moak & Pendergrass takes aviation accident cases on contingency, so our fee comes out of a settlement or verdict, not your pocket, before your case is ever resolved.
