International Flight Injuries and Deaths.
The Right Attorney For Your International Flight Accident Case.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed while on an international flight, you need an attorney who knows the laws and international treaties which hold airlines liable.
Mahmoud “Mach” Khatib, known as The Airline Lawyer, has been a pilot for over 25 years. Attorney Khatib also worked for major airlines including Delta and Northwest for over 18 years. While there are many personal injury lawyers, only Attorney Khatib comes with aviation credentials and the experience of an airline insider.
The Montreal Convention.
The Montreal Convention is an international treaty which standardizes airline liability rules for international flights. Most countries, including the United States, ratified The Montreal Convention. When a flight has an international itinerary and The Montreal Convention applies, it serves as the exclusive remedy for airline injuries and deaths.
Liability Under The Montreal Convention is summarized as follows…
Strict Liability (up to 151,880 SDRs): The Montreal Convention holds airlines strictly liable for passenger injury or death up to 151,880 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, which translates to roughly $200,000 in 2026. This means victims or their families do not need to prove the airline was negligent — they merely need to show there was an accident and prove their damages in order to hold the airline liable.
Unlimited Liability (above 151,880 SDRs): There is no financial cap on how much a victim or their family can claim under The Montreal Convention, however, airlines can defend themselves against claims over the strict liability threshold by showing the accident was not caused by their negligence.
Why Airlines Offer Early Settlement After Air Crashes.
After an airline accident, insurance underwriters usually send letters to victims and their families offering settlement and discouraging them from hiring lawyers. This is known as the “Tenerife Approach” or “Alpert Approach” and it is a strategy that airlines and their insurance adjusters have used since the 1970’s to reduce payouts.
Air crash victims and their families are extremely vulnerable; they may have lost a parent, child, or spouse; and they may be hospitalized with life-altering injuries, unable to work and accumulating massive medical bills. When airlines offer six or even seven figures to settle, there is a strong temptation to quickly sign and get the money. That’s a big mistake.
Signing the airline’s first settlement offer forecloses the opportunity to recover significantly more money with a lawyer — sometimes, the difference is in the millions of dollars. That’s why airlines are so eager to settle with victims who don’t have a lawyer — they get off cheap.
There is Never a Fee Until We Win for You.
We are so confident we can help you win that we take all injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis: our fee is a share of the recovery.
That means you pay us nothing upfront, and we don’t get paid unless we get you paid.
If an airline or its insurance company offers you a settlement before you hire us, tell us. We won't take any fee from an offer you disclose to us before hiring us. Since we didn't fight for that first offer, we don't believe we deserve any part of it, and we think other attorneys who charge a fee on something they didn’t fight for are ripping you off. The Airline Lawyer only takes a share of the extra money we recover for you.
WHAT’S YOUR CASE WORTH?
Factors to Consider.
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MEDICAL BILLS
The strongest proof that you were injured are medical bills. This is why it is critical to promptly seek medical care from doctors after the accident.
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LOSS OF INCOME
If you missed work or are no longer able to work because of your injury, this can make your case more valuable.
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PAIN & SUFFERING
Merely making you whole for your economic losses does not make you whole for your physical and emotional pain. You might also have lasting scars that never go away.
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INSURANCE
Generally, in order to recover damages, the at-fault party needs to have insurance coverage or sufficient assets.
READY TO BEGIN?
Talk To The Airline Lawyer.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards resolving your legal matter.