When someone makes the commitment of becoming a pilot, they immediately acquire a compromise of moral responsibility. They know that many human lives depend on the perfect performance of their job. That is the reason why, when an accident takes place, everybody initially blames the pilot. It is only after some investigations are done and the true causes are found, that pilot can either be relieved of guilt or not.
Whenever an accident takes place, pilots worry about losing a license, his or her job or being sued. Moreover, statistics reveal they carry a great sense of moral responsibility and tend to blame themselves even when is not their fault. With these feelings of guilt, most of the time pilots are not eager to fight for their permission to keep on flying. Therefore, they should make a previous research on what their rights are, and if they can be applied or not.
After an accident happens, the first thing for a pilot to do is to give his/her best trying to save the passengers. Then, the pilot must wait for an experienced aviation attorney before giving any statement. This is only because with the nervousness, stress, and worries about what caused the accident, any statement the pilot gives may be taken erroneously and can be used against him/her later on. Anyhow, if an aviation safety investigator is present, the pilot must be able to answer any question designed to determine the probable cause and protect safety. Still, the pilot must always try to answer those questions in front of his/her own lawyer, so that his/her legal rights are protected. Every statement told by the pilot can be used in the future for many purposes, either by the lawyers or any journalist with access to the information.
Then, copies of the testimonies and evidences from the accident are taken by the investigators. Usually, pilots should be protected by an insurance company. Therefore, the pilot must notify his/her insurance company about the incident. It will be better if any sort of communication between pilots and anyone regarding the case is made in written form, so that an appropriate track or follow up of the case is documented. Also, pilots should always try to work along with an attorney with experience in air crashes, not only in personal injuries.
Also, remember that every state has its own jurisdiction; therefore, the attorney must be specialized on that jurisdiction. Pilots can not let the media and the problems of an accident become a pressure method that will push them over the edge. They must defend themselves and always strive for fairness and justice above everything.