Delta Air Lines is facing multiple lawsuits following last week’s crash landing in Toronto, despite offering $30,000 to each passenger aboard the ill-fated flight.
The legal battle has only just begun, with more lawsuits expected in the coming months, reports CBS News.
The flight was operated by Delta’s subsidiary Endeavor Air and was carrying 76 passengers when it flipped over on landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Delta’s compensation offer would total around $2.3 million if accepted by all but some passengers argue that it is not enough.
‘Drenched with jet fuel’
A Texas man who filed one of the lawsuits claims he suffered “severe emotional distress and mental anguish” after being “suspended upside down” and “drenched with jet fuel.” He is also seeking damages for “significant injuries to his head, neck, back, knees and face.”
A second lawsuit, filed on behalf of a woman from Minneapolis, alleges she is dealing with “extreme bodily and mental injuries.” The suit further accuses the flight crew of failing to follow “the most fundamental procedures for a landing approach.”
Under the Montreal Convention, an international treaty governing airline liability, passengers injured on international flights can claim up to $200,000 in compensation. However, if negligence is proven, the amount could be even higher. The treaty gives passengers two years to file lawsuits.
With 21 people taken to hospital following the crash, more legal claims are expected. All those injured have since been discharged, Delta CEO Ed Bastian confirmed.
Delta defends its pilots
Amid speculation about the pilots’ credentials, Delta released a statement affirming their qualifications. The airline stated that both pilots are certified by the federal aviation administration (FAA). The captain has experience in “pilot training and flight safety capacities,” while the first officer, hired by Endeavor last year, holds “the highest-level pilot certification in the US.”
Delta also assured passengers that the $30,000 offer had “no strings attached and does not affect rights.”
The national transportation safety board (NTSB) and the FAA are assisting Canadian authorities in determining what went wrong. The aircraft was removed from the runway on Thursday, but the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
