A lot of words in this comment, but the convention says they are liable for damages. You have to prove and quantify damages before you can ask them to pay for damages. You better believe their lawyer isn't going to agree to the extent of the damages. And you'll also have to prove that they didn't take all reasonable measures to avoid the damage. There's a reason everyone thinks that in the US you can go get fucked if you want compensation by an airline: because for all intents and purposes, it's true. This is incomparable to the EU.
You don't need a lawyer or to get through a lawyer to file a claim, and damages are pretty straightforward to prove in most cases.
As a simple example, I had a flight that was headed to Mexico City that was cancelled, they rebooked me the next day. I had to pay for a hotel room, and my hotel in Mexico City missed check-in so I had to pay a penalty, plus I lost out on one day of vacation. I submitted receipts and a justification, and the claim was paid.
On another occasion my luggage was lost on a business trip and I had a meeting the following morning which required dress attire. I went to the nearest mall and had them rush me a suit to wear as similar in cost/quality to what I had packed. I submitted the receipts and I was reimbursed for the cost of my suit. I did eventually get my baggage 4 days after arrival, but I was reimbursed for all of the clothing I had to purchase, my toiletries, and other necessaries.
You are quite correct that this is nowhere near as good as Europe. It doesn't compensate you for the inconvenience, and it doesn't guarantee compensation as a matter of law, and it puts the burden of proof on the consumer more so than the airline. But it's something, not nothing, and most people don't realize they even have this avenue available to them. If you are traveling internationally from the US, you have at least some legal protections and I think it's important people know what protections and rights they have and that they make use of them, that's all.
