Passenger baggage belt loaders are machines that attach a baggage belt to the chassis of a truck, bus, or railway car and lift the luggage off the ground. They can be used for large items like suitcases and boxes, or for small items like purses, briefcases, and laptop bags. The belt loader uses a set of motors to rotate the axle, which lifts the luggage off the ground.
Passenger Baggage Belt Loaders are a common sight on commercial aircraft, and as such, they are targets for accidents. A recent study found that passenger baggage belt loaders are the most frequent cause of fatalities in airport work zones.
Most accidents involve workers being struck by the loader, but there have been a few cases where the loader has struck passengers. In one such incident, a baggage belt loader at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport collided with a passenger vehicle, causing serious injuries to the driver.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there have been a number of accidents involving these machines, which has led to several injuries.
In one accident, a passenger baggage belt loader was operating when it became stuck in-between the landing gear and the fuselage. This caused the machine to pull against the weight of the luggage, which caused it to fall onto its operator. The operator was injured as a result.
Another accident occurred when a passenger baggage belt loader became overloaded and lifted off of its tracks. As a result, the machine pulled against the side of an airplane, causing it to crash into a building. Two passengers were injured in this accident.
In some cases, the machine failed to distribute the weight of the passenger’s luggage evenly, causing unexpected consequences.
One such accident occurred on a Southwest Airlines flight. The passenger’s luggage became entangled in the machine’s gears, causing it to over-stroke and cause extensive damage to the engine. The passenger was seriously injured in the accident, and had to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment.
Another such accident occurred on a United Airlines flight from Houston to San Francisco. Once again, the passenger’s luggage became entangled in the machine’s gears, this time causing significant damage to both the engine the passenger.
The NTSB has called for more safety measures to be put in place for these machines, including requiring them to have safety guards and more robust safety mechanisms.
If you have been injured by a passenger baggage belt loader, it is important to contact an attorney so that they can help you get the compensation that you deserve.