Aviation Ground Crew Injuries in New York

JFK and LaGuardia airports are owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. When airport infrastructure, equipment, or unsafe conditions cause ground crew injuries, the Port Authority may bear liability. Third-party contractors, airlines, and ground handling companies may also share responsibility depending on the circumstances.

Yes. Before filing a personal injury lawsuit against the Port Authority of NY & NJ, injured workers must serve a formal Notice of Claim within 90 days of the accident. Missing this deadline can permanently bar your claim, so acting quickly and consulting a NY attorney is critical.

Workers’ compensation covers medical expenses and lost wages but does not compensate for pain and suffering. If a third party—such as an equipment manufacturer, contractor, or airport operator—caused or contributed to the injury, a separate third-party personal injury lawsuit may be available in addition to a workers’ comp claim.

Ground crew at NY airports frequently suffer injuries from jet blast exposure, baggage loading equipment, fuel spills, aircraft towing accidents, and falls on wet or icy tarmac surfaces. Struck-by incidents involving ground support vehicles and forklifts are also common. These injuries often result in fractures, spinal damage, crush injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.

Yes. Ground crew who fuel aircraft, handle de-icing fluid, or work around hydraulic and hazmat cargo can suffer chemical burns, respiratory damage, and toxic exposure. New York workers' comp covers both sudden injuries, like a fuel-spill fire, and occupational diseases that build up from repeated chemical contact over time. For a gradual-onset condition, your window to file generally runs from when you knew, or reasonably should have known, that the condition was work-related — not from your first day on the job — so a delayed diagnosis doesn't automatically kill the claim.

Yes. Hearing loss from prolonged exposure to jet-engine and APU noise is a recognized occupational disease under New York workers' comp, and permanent hearing loss carries its own benefit award. One wrinkle unique to these claims: a hearing loss claim generally can't be filed until after a mandatory three-month period away from the harmful noise exposure, which exists so your permanent loss can be measured accurately rather than while your ears are still ringing from the last shift.

No. Fueling, cargo, and de-icing work at New York airports is often farmed out through layered subcontractors, and some carry no valid workers' comp coverage. New York doesn't leave those workers empty-handed — the state's Uninsured Employers' Fund can pay your benefits when an employer that was legally required to carry coverage failed to, and the uninsured employer faces penalties for the lapse. You can also still pursue any third-party claim against the airline or prime contractor whose unsafe conditions caused the injury.