Connecticut International Flight Injury Lawyer

If you live in Connecticut and were injured on an international flight, your claim against the airline is usually governed by the Montreal Convention, an international treaty with its own rules on liability, deadlines and where you can sue. Muggeo & Associates represents passengers from across New England in international flight injury claims against U.S. and foreign airlines. Attorney Louis J. Muggeo brings more than 2,000 hours of civilian flight time to the firm’s aviation work.

How Connecticut Travelers Fly Internationally

Connecticut’s main commercial airports include Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks and Tweed-New Haven Airport. Bradley has offered international service, including flights to Canada and Ireland, with routes that change by season. Many Connecticut travelers also fly from the New York area airports or Boston Logan. Whichever airport you used, the Montreal Convention generally governs injuries on international itineraries.

Montreal Convention Basics

Accident: The airline is liable for bodily injury caused by an “accident” on board or during embarking or disembarking, meaning an unexpected or unusual event external to the passenger.
Strict liability: Since December 28, 2024, the airline is liable without proof of fault up to 151,880 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) per passenger, and above that amount unless it proves it was not negligent or the damage was caused solely by a third party.
Two-year deadline: Suit must be filed within two years of arrival at the destination, or of when the flight should have arrived.
Where to sue: Article 33 limits the places a claim can be filed, including the destination on the ticket and, for injury or death, the country of the passenger’s principal and permanent residence if the airline serves it.

Read our step-by-step guide on how to make a claim under the Montreal Convention.

Common International Flight Injuries

Falling bags from overhead bins
Severe turbulence
Hot drink and meal burns
Beverage cart injuries
Falls in the aisle, on air stairs or on the jet bridge
Injuries during wheelchair assistance
Hard landings and emergency evacuations

See how courts analyze each in our guide to airline injury types.

Injuries Outside the Convention

If the Montreal Convention does not apply, Connecticut’s general limitations period for negligence claims is two years, one of the shorter periods in New England, so prompt action matters.

Representing Connecticut Passengers From Outside the State

Our attorneys are not admitted in Connecticut. Many international flight injury cases are filed in federal court or in Massachusetts or New York, depending on the itinerary and the airline. When a case must be filed in Connecticut, we may work with local counsel.

Frequently Asked Questions

I live in Connecticut and was hurt flying out of JFK. Where can I sue?

Under the Montreal Convention, options generally include the airline’s home country, the place where the ticket was bought through the airline’s business, the destination, and, for injury, the country of your principal and permanent residence if the airline serves it. For a Connecticut resident on a trip that began in the United States, a U.S. federal court is often available, subject to personal jurisdiction and venue.

Are you licensed in Connecticut?

Our attorneys are not admitted in Connecticut. They are admitted in New York and Massachusetts, which include many of the airports Connecticut travelers use. Where a case must be filed in Connecticut, we may work with local counsel.

Is the two-year Montreal deadline the same as Connecticut’s deadline?

They are separate. The Montreal Convention’s two-year period applies to claims governed by the Convention. Connecticut’s own limitations periods apply to claims outside it, such as many terminal injuries.

Hurt on an international flight? Call Muggeo & Associates at (978) 741-1177 or request a consultation. Montreal Convention claims must be filed within two years of arrival, so do not wait.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Whether the Montreal Convention applies, where a claim can be filed and what can be recovered depend on the ticket, the itinerary and the facts. Our attorneys are admitted in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Florida; where a case must be filed elsewhere, we may work with local counsel. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes. Last reviewed November 2026.

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