Airport Worker Injury Claims in New York

Yes. JFK and LaGuardia airports are owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a bi-state public agency. Before you can file a lawsuit against the Port Authority, New York law requires you to serve a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the injury. Missing this deadline can permanently bar your claim against the airport operator, so acting quickly is critical.

Yes. Workers' compensation covers lost wages and medical bills regardless of fault, but it does not compensate for pain and suffering. If a third party — such as an airline, a ground-handling contractor, a cargo company, or an equipment manufacturer — caused or contributed to your injury, New York law allows you to pursue a separate personal injury lawsuit against that party while also collecting workers' comp benefits.

Newark Liberty International Airport is also owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, but it sits in New Jersey. Injury claims there are typically governed by New Jersey law, which has its own notice requirements and statute of limitations. If you were injured at EWR, you should consult an attorney immediately to determine which state's law applies to your specific circumstances.

Common airport worker injuries in New York include back and shoulder injuries from loading and unloading baggage, crush injuries from jet bridges or ground equipment, forklift and vehicle collisions on the tarmac, slip-and-falls on wet ramps or jet bridges, and repetitive stress injuries from manual cargo handling. When negligent maintenance, defective equipment, or an unsafe work environment caused the injury, a third-party personal injury claim may be available in addition to workers' comp.

No. TSA screening officers, Customs and Border Protection officers, and other federal employees work for the U.S. government, not the airport or the Port Authority. Their on-the-job injuries fall under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), administered by the U.S. Department of Labor — a different system with different deadlines and a different agency to file with than New York workers' compensation or the Port Authority Notice-of-Claim process. If you're a federal employee hurt at JFK or LaGuardia, confirm your employment status before assuming the 90-day Port Authority rule applies to you.

Airport jobs are heavily layered. You might wear an airline's uniform but be paid by a ground-handling company or a staffing agency, and the equipment you use may belong to yet another contractor. This matters because your direct employer is usually shielded from lawsuits by workers' compensation, while any other company whose negligence caused your injury can be sued directly for pain and suffering and full lost earnings. Pulling your pay stubs, your badge sponsor, and the contracts covering your work area is often the first step in identifying every party you can actually hold responsible.

Yes. Airport-worker claims cover gate and ticketing agents, customer-service and wheelchair attendants, cabin cleaners, catering and concession staff, and maintenance crews inside the terminal — not only ramp, baggage, and cargo workers. Because JFK and LaGuardia are Port Authority facilities, a slip-and-fall on a wet terminal floor or an injury caused by a defective jet bridge can still trigger the same 90-day Notice-of-Claim requirement against the Port Authority.