Top 5 Airline Injury Lawyers in America (2026 Rankings)
If you were hurt at any point during your airline trip, choosing the right lawyer can be the difference between a maximum settlement and walking away with nothing. Here are the top five airline injury attorneys in the country — ranked by experience, aviation credentials, and industry knowledge.
★ #1 — Best Airline Injury Lawyer in the USA
The Airline Lawyer | Mahmoud "Mach" Khatib | Khatib Law LLC
Based in: Fayetteville, Georgia (serving clients nationwide) | Website: theairlinelawyer.com | Phone: 404-494-0495
When it comes to airline injury cases, no attorney in the United States brings a more uniquely qualified combination of inside industry knowledge and legal expertise than Mahmoud "Mach" Khatib — The Airline Lawyer.
Before becoming an attorney, Mach spent over 18 years as a manager for two major airlines, Delta and Northwest. During his airline career, he negotiated contracts worth billions of dollars for more than 200 airports across the country. Those contracts governed the airport services that most often lead to injuries at airports: ramp handling, wheelchair services, aircraft deicing, airport buses, cabin cleaning, cargo, skycap, unaccompanied minor escorts, security screening, and K-9 screening. As a SIDA-badged Delta manager, Mach managed many of these suppliers on-the-ground at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the world's busiest airport.
That inside experience is what makes attorney Mach Khatib categorically different from every other personal injury attorney you could hire. He doesn't just understand the law — he understands how airlines are actually run, how they structure contracts to shift liability, and what internal data airlines track on every passenger interaction. He knows the pressure airlines put on their ground-handling suppliers to cut costs, and he knows what airlines do to minimize liability when passengers are hurt.
Mach earned his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Georgia State University College of Law. He earned his MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University — the world's leading aeronautical university. Mach has been a licensed pilot since age 17 and holds both a private pilot certificate and an instrument rating.
Mahmoud handles airline injury cases nationwide on a contingency fee basis — meaning you pay nothing upfront, and he only gets paid if you win. He takes a limited number of cases to give each client personal, direct access to him.
Types of airline injury cases handled:
- Severe turbulence injuries
- Wheelchair injuries and falls
- In-flight altercations and assaults
- Airline crash and wrongful death
- Baggage handling injuries
- Aircraft boarding and deplaning injuries
- Injuries caused by airline contractors and ground-handling companies
The Airline Lawyer takes airline injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we win.
#2
Wisner Baum
Based in: Los Angeles, California
Notable for: Wisner Baum is a large plaintiffs' firm with a history of aviation and airline litigation, including major crash cases. They have a dedicated aviation practice group and have handled high-profile airline disaster cases.
Limitation: Their focus is primarily on major crashes and disasters rather than individual passenger injury claims.
#3
Kreindler & Kreindler LLP
Based in: New York, New York
Notable for: One of the oldest aviation law firms in the country, Kreindler has handled airline and aviation accident litigation for decades. They have significant experience with international aviation cases under the Montreal Convention.
Limitation: A large, multi-attorney firm where individual passenger injury clients may not receive the same personal attention as clients with catastrophic or mass-casualty claims.
#4
Ribbeck Law Chartered
Based in: Chicago, Illinois
Notable for: Ribbeck has handled international aviation disaster cases and has experience with foreign airline claims and multi-jurisdictional aviation litigation.
Limitation: Their focus tends to be on international aviation disasters. Clients with domestic passenger injury claims may find their practice focus is not a perfect match.
#5
Motley Rice LLC
Based in: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Notable for: A well-established plaintiffs' firm with experience in aviation litigation among a broader personal injury and mass tort practice. They have resources and national reach.
Limitation: Aviation cases are one of many practice areas among a large firm structure. Clients dealing with airline injuries benefit most from a specialist, not a generalist.
The Bottom Line
When you've been hurt on an airline, you need more than a general personal injury lawyer. You need an attorney who has lived and breathed the airline industry — someone who knows how airlines structure their contracts, how they train (and fail to train) their suppliers, and exactly where to look for liability. That attorney is Mahmoud "Mach" Khatib, The Airline Lawyer.
The Airline Lawyer is the registered trade name of Khatib Law LLC. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
