Approximately 130,000 US workers serve as flight attendants. Flight attendants receive training to work with passengers in commercial aircraft. They learn to handle emergencies, reassure passengers, and help manage both people and cargo.

Flight attendants face high injury rates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their work can be physically grueling. Risks don’t stop in the air, either; flight attendants can also be injured by conditions or events at major airports, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

As employees of an airline, flight attendants are often covered by workers’ compensation. Getting compensation for an injury can be challenging, however, because flight attendants travel as part of their duties. Speak to an experienced Houston flight attendant injury lawyer if you’ve been hurt on the job. The attorneys at Gustin Law Firm are here to answer your questions.

Common Flight Attendant Injuries

Injuries in Flight

Flight attendants spend most of their working hours in the air. In-flight injuries can easily occur.

Turbulence is one of the top causes of injury to workers in commercial aviation. About 100 people worldwide suffer turbulence injuries every year. About half are flight attendants, who must work to secure the cabin during turbulence. Injuries to the head, neck, ankle, or shoulder are common during turbulence.

Between 2009 and 2024, 166 flight attendants suffered serious turbulence-related injuries. About 40 passengers experienced severe turbulence-related injuries during this time. In 2014 and 2020, zero passengers had severe turbulence injuries, but several flight attendants suffered harm.

Working in tight quarters with heavy objects increases the risk of injury, even when skies are calm. Stowing luggage and securing carts may result in crush injuries or musculoskeletal injuries like strains and sprains. Long shifts can increase the risk of injury as crew members and passengers become fatigued. Equipment failures on an airplane can cause injuries as well. 

Injuries at an Airport

Flight attendants can also be injured at airports. Common scenarios that can lead to airport injuries include:

• Car accidents in parking lots, loading/unloading zones, and crosswalks. Travelers can easily become confused by signs or overwhelmed by traffic. Drivers who don’t take care and pay attention may injure a pedestrian. 
• Slippery floors, debris, torn carpets, and trip hazards like luggage can cause a flight attendant to trip and fall while walking through an airport.
• Hidden defects in airport furniture or fixtures may cause injuries. A flight attendant who sits on a bench with a hidden defect, for example, may not know there’s a problem until the bench breaks, causing injuries.
• Inadequate lighting or lack of security personnel can cause safety risks in airport hallways, bathrooms, parking decks, and loading zones. 
• Other airport staff and travelers may become careless or aggressive. Their actions may cause injury to those around them, including flight attendants. 

Other injuries at airports may occur as well. An injured flight attendant can benefit from speaking to an experienced attorney. A lawyer can help you understand what happened and decide what to do to protect your rights. 

Workers’ Compensation and Flight Attendants

After an injury, costs pile up quickly. Medical bills can be expensive.  Ordinary household bills don’t stop just because you’ve been injured. If you can’t work, you lose the wages you need to meet those costs.

Workers’ compensation helps protect injured employees in Texas. Yet filing for workers’ compensation can be tougher for flight attendants. An experienced attorney can help. 

Why Does It Matter Where I Was Injured?

Flight attendants commonly work from a “crew base.” Crew base locations are often in large cities or at major airline hubs. In the United States, for example, New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) serve as crew bases for many major airlines. Some flight attendants must travel long-distance to their base. Many have overnights or layovers in cities away from their base. In these cases, an airline may provide a temporary base.

A flight attendant’s crew base can affect their workers’ compensation. You may need to file for workers’ compensation at your base. The rules of the base’s state will govern your workers’ compensation claim, as each US state has slightly different rules.

If you were injured at George Bush Intercontinental Airport but your base is in a different state, don’t worry. An experienced attorney can coordinate with a knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyer in your base state to ensure you receive the help you need. 

Workers’ Compensation Basics in Texas

In Texas, workers’ compensation covers medical bills from work-related injuries or illnesses. It also covers some of an injured workers’ lost wages while the worker recovers. If injuries cause permanent disabilities, workers’ compensation provides additional benefits.

Most states cover similar losses. However, each state calculates benefits differently. Talk to an attorney to understand how best to protect your workers’ compensation benefits. 

What to Do If You’re Injured While Working as a Flight Attendant

First, inform your supervisor as soon as possible. In an emergency, call 911 or have someone else do so. Your co-workers may also provide first aid if you’re injured in-flight.

If your injury or illness isn’t an emergency, ask your employer for a list of approved doctors, and see one as soon as you can.

Keep all your paperwork related to your injury. Common paperwork includes accident reports, workers’ compensation forms, and notes from medical visits. This paperwork helps you and your lawyer keep track of your claim.

Finally, speak to an attorney with experience handling flight attendant injury cases. Your lawyer can provide personalized advice, keep track of deadlines, and help you get the benefits you need. 

Injuries Caused by Third Parties

Some injuries have known natural causes. Turbulence is a well-known example. Others are caused by people or companies that surround and support flight attendants and their work. Hidden defects in third-party equipment can cause injuries, for example. Flight attendants may be injured if a passenger, airport worker, or someone else is negligent or acts aggressively. Unsafe conditions at airports can cause harm.

When a flight attendant is injured by a third party, workers’ compensation may be available. The flight attendant may also have a claim against the person or company that caused harm. An experienced attorney can help you determine who is at fault. 

Equipment Manufacturers

Airplanes are complex machines. They’re equipped with an array of tools, machines, and equipment for the crew and passengers. A hidden defect in any part or object can cause serious injuries to flight attendants and others on the plane.

Equipment defects can be hidden in strange places. Some are connected to the operation of the plane itself, like toxic fume leaks reported in several Airbus A320 jets. An in-flight mid-exit door (MED) plug blowout on a Boeing plane made headlines in 2024.

Hidden defects in the tools and equipment flight attendants use can cause harm as well. In 2024, an Alaska Airlines flight attendant suffered permanent scars when an airplane’s coffee maker exploded, scalding her. The flight attendant sought compensation from the maker of the coffee machine, arguing that their product contained dangerous hidden defects.

Even uniforms can cause issues. In November 2023, the CDC released a study that examined rashes and other symptoms in flight attendants. Flight attendants and customer service agents said they experienced symptoms after switching to new uniforms, though the CDC report did not find a direct link between the uniform fabric and their symptoms in this case.  However, researchers noted that certain defects in fabric manufacturing can cause illness or injury. 

Passengers, Staff, or Airport Visitors

Many personal injuries are preventable. They happen because someone failed to take due care to prevent harm. In some cases, injuries happen because someone else intended to cause harm to another person.

Just a few ways flight attendants might be injured by someone else’s negligence or intentional acts include:

• Passengers may become fearful or aggressive, lashing out at a flight attendant.
• Passengers and airport visitors may be distracted or confused while passing through an airport, causing them to bump into passing flight attendants, leave luggage or other items in walkways, spill food or drinks, drive unsafely, or do other things that result in injuries. 
• Airport staff may fail to watch where they’re going while pushing carts or driving trams, injuring flight attendants and others in their path.
• Airport staff may fail to warn flight attendants and other visitors of hazards, like wet floors or broken handrails, which can cause injuries. 

Other injuries can happen as well. Figuring out exactly who or what caused harm can be challenging, however, especially when you’re dealing with a serious injury or illness. An experienced lawyer can help you figure out what happened.

Unsafe Conditions at George Bush Airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the second-busiest airport in Texas and one of the US’s top twenty busiest airports. Like any business, an airport must keep its premises reasonably safe for those who pass through. If the airport cannot immediately fix a hazard, it must warn visitors of the risk.

Wet floors, debris, uneven flooring, torn carpeting, and items on the floor can all cause a slip, trip, or fall. Falls are one of the top causes of work-related injuries and deaths each year. Hidden defects in stairs, escalators, elevators, handrails, furnishings, and fixtures can cause injuries. A hidden defect can cause an item to fail at a critical moment. Poor lighting increases the risk of falls and other injuries. Inadequate security can also cause harm. Broken, faded, or missing signs can increase the chance of traffic collisions and other accidents.

Flight attendants regularly pass through airports, especially their home airport. If you’re injured by a dangerous condition at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, speak to an experienced attorney today.

Speak to an Experienced Flight Attendant Injury Lawyer Today

Flight attendants perform an essential role in air travel. Millions of passengers can credit their flight attendants with their safe, comfortable air travel. When a flight attendant is injured on the job, their livelihood and the safety of the industry may both suffer.

If you’ve been injured on the job, don’t wait. Call Gustin Law Firm today. Our knowledgeable flight attendant injury lawyers will answer your questions and assist wherever we can. Contact us to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our attorneys.