Over the last several years, our law firm has represented AirTran employees in workers compensation claims and third party work injury lawsuits. The types of cases that we handle range from catastrophic claims where AirTran employees have been confined to a wheelchair to slip and fall accidents occurring at airports and on tarmacs. As AirTran has grown as an airline, we have seen the number of AirTran work injuries similarly increase.
A recent Airtran Atlanta workers compensation case has recently garnered local headlines. In January of this year, an AirTran gate agent was attacked by an Army soldier at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport. The gate agent was assisting passengers with connecting flights when the soldier approached her and demanded that she assist him. When she suggested that she was unable to assist, the soldier spit at her and pushed her into another passenger. As a consequence, she suffered a shoulder injury. The soldier was charged with simple assault, but the charges may be elevated.
While the gate agents injury is certainly not a typical AirTran workers compensation claim, it is still, nonetheless and compensable work accident. Under Georgia workers compensation law, the gate agent would be entitled to medical care as long as it is needed, weekly compensation checks for as long as she is unable to return to work and a disability payment in the event her injuries are permanent.
