There are many responsibilities that go along with owning, leasing or operating on an airport in Georgia, one of which is insurance. This applies to people who may lease hanger space for purposes not involving aviation-related activities. Most agreements require leaseholders to have liability insurance related to possible instances of tenant negligence. Options with liability coverage include general liability, public liability and owner/landlord-tenant liability. However, it’s premises liability that may be especially beneficial for anyone owning or leasing airport property.
The purpose of premises liability insurance is to cover expenses related to unsafe conditions on airport property. Some agreements that leaseholders are asked to sign include stipulations that may not be entirely fair. For instance, some agreements contain clauses that automatically pass all responsibilities to the lessee regardless of who the negligent party may be. For this reason, it may be helpful for individuals presented with such agreements to consult with an attorney first.
A reasonable contract related to airport property typically requires a leaseholder to acquire coverage that would apply to their own negligent acts. If an existing aircraft or hangar insurance policy does not include premises liability coverage, it can usually be added for little or no additional premium cost. Another option for anyone leasing airport property is to have a separate general liability policy to provide protection against slip-and-falls and other types of personal injuries that may involve customers, clients, employees or passengers.
A personal injury attorney may help a client who owns or leases airport property to determine if liability exposure exists. This may also be case if an agreement does not specifically have an indemnification or hold harmless clause. Additionally, an attorney may review agreements to identify clauses that need to be added to provide sufficient protection against personal injury claims. Conversely, a personal injury lawyer may be able to advise clients who may have been injured on airport property determine their legal options.